Right to Information Commission, Sri Lanka’s commissioners and officials from UNDP(United Nations Development Programme) visited Freedom Forum on May 26. FF’s Chairperson Hari Binod Adhikari welcomed the commissioners. Justice Upaly Abeyrathne Rtd. (Chairperson), Attorney-at-Law Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena (Commissioner), Attorney-at-Law Jagath Liyana Arachchi (Commissioner) and Mohomed Nahiya (Commissioner) along with Maheshi Herat – Technical Specialist – Justice at UNDP met with Freedom Forum team where they interacted and exchanged ideas and experiences regarding the impact of RTI on the country’s governance. During the meeting, FF’s Executive Chief Taranath Dahal shared his experience and struggle as an RTI activist and civil society representative in promoting use of right to information in the country. He also pointed out both the positive developments and existing challenges in its implementation at national level. For successful establishment of RTI regime in the nation, collaboration among information commission and civil societies is important which is already in practice in Nepal, he underscored. The commissioners were excited to learn that Nepal government had included right to information in the school curriculum as well. Advisor at Freedom Forum, Krishna Sapkota highlighted importance of RTI as crosscutting agenda in all the sectors. He also shared how RTI has played a vital role in building open data ecosystem in Nepal.
Information Commissioners from Srilanka visit Freedom Forum
