Sri Lanka has achieved the third best strongest legal framework for the Right to Information (RTI) in the Global RTI ratings, the Canadian based RTI watch-dog Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD) announced.
The combined effect of the regulations adopted by the Minister of Parliament Reforms and Mass Media Gayantha Karunatilleke and the Right to Information Commission has added full ten points to Sri Lanka’s already strong score of 121 points out of a possible total of 150 on the RTI Rating.
Simultaneously, Sri Lanka has become the best in South Asia with 131 points, by passing India at 5th, with 128 points.
Mexico tops the rating with a score of 136 while Serbia is second with 135.
According to CLD its Executive Director Toby Mendel said “Countries often go up a few points on the Right to Information Rating when they adopt rules and regulations. But this is an impressive jump up for a country which already had a very strong score. So both the Minister and the Commission deserve to be congratulated for their good work.”
Sri Lanka’s Right to Information Act came into effect on 3 February 2017, just on the deadline for the GRTI ratings, while the gazette notification in relation to the Act was issued on the 21st of January 2017.
Global RTI Rating, a progamme which comparatively assesses the strength of legal frameworks for the RTI from around the world was founded by Access Info Europe (AIE) and the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD).
