Afghanistan ranks first in the world on right to information

Afghanistan has secured first place among 123 countries on right to information laws.
That is according to the Halifax-based Centre for Law and Democracy and human rights organization Access Info Europe which published the annual list to mark International Right to Know Day.
The rating system uses a 150-point scale to indicate the strength and weaknesses of right to information laws around the world. Afghanistan scored 139 points.
Afghanistan’s Access to Information Law was enacted in 2014.
Afghanistan’s rise in the global ranking is remarkable as the country sat on 68th position in 2016. Afghanistan is followed by Mexico, Serbia and Sri Lanka.
“It is tremendous that Afghanistan has passed such an incredibly strong RTI law,” said Toby Mendel, Executive Director of the Centre for Law and Democracy. “Although implementation is always a challenge, this law will at least give the country the tools it needs to ensure its citizens can access information from public authorities.”
The Afghan government said that it is committed to “upholding tenets of open governance to enhance accountability.”