President Carter Disseminates the Atlanta Declaration and Plan of Action

Last month, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter forwarded the Atlanta Declaration and Plan of Action for the Advancement of the Right of Access to Information to all heads of state and leaders of the major international organizations and financial institutions, including World Bank President Robert Zoellick. Through personalized messages to every leader, President Carter urged them to ensure the right of access to information and its implementation and enforcement.

The Atlanta Declaration and Plan of Action was the product of the Carter Center's International Conference on the Right to Public Information, held Feb. 27-29, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia. The diverse group of more than 125 participants, including colleagues from the World Bank, came from 40 countries and represented all the major stakeholder groups, including governments, civil society, international organizations and financial institutions, the private sector, donors and scholars. The Atlanta Declaration and Plan of Action serves as a framework for advancing the right of access to information, asserting that it is fundamental to dignity, equity and peace with justice. It further states that a lack of access to information disproportionately affects the poor, women and other vulnerable and marginalized societies. The Atlanta Declaration and Plan of Action calls on all states and intergovernmental organizations to enact legislation and instruments for the exercise, full implementation and effective enforcement of this right. It also encourages all stakeholders to take concrete steps to establish, develop, protect and promote the right of access to information.

At the end of the conference, President Carter had promised to personally send the Atlanta Declaration and Plan of Action to every head of state in the world and relevant international organizations. President Carter's call for wide dissemination of the Atlanta Declaration and Plan of Action encouraged everyone to distribute it amongst fellow colleagues, and many participants have since posted information on their own websites and blogs and contributed to newspaper articles. The Atlanta Declaration and Plan of Action also has been presented in various conferences and meetings, and stakeholders are beginning to implement its action points. It is available in Spanish, French, and Chinese. Briefing materials from the conference also are available online at the Carter Center's Access to Information Project Website.

After nearly a decade of working on issues around access to information, the conference marked an important milestone in the Carter Center's work. We valued the importance of gathering the community of practice to delve into some of the most complex topics. Most importantly, the conference provided a moment for us to collectively pause in our work and think about an agenda for the future. I hope that the Atlanta Declaration and Plan of Action will be embraced as a tool by advocates, governments, and international financial institutions alike. I welcome the opportunity to share the Carter Center’s work with you and look forward to continuing collaboration.

Photo credit: Carter Center/C. Mackey

Malian Minister of Justice Maharafa Traoré and President Carter at the conference.