His Excellency Ban Ki-moon
\nSecretary General of the United Nations
\nUnited Nations Headquarters
\nNew York, NY 10017<\/p>\n
CC: Amina J. Mohammed, Assistant Secretary General<\/p>\n
Dear Mr. Secretary General,<\/p>\n
We write to you as a coalition of civil society organisations committed to sustainable development, to urge you to highlight the importance of the right to information, free media, and the protection of civil society organisations\u2019 ability to organise and engage in your upcoming stocktaking report on the Sustainable Development Goals to the General Assembly.<\/p>\n
We welcome your recent announcement on the creation of an Independent Expert Advisory Group on the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development. However, as experts and practitioners in the field, we feel strongly that the data revolution cannot succeed without substantial improvement in the openness of governments to their people and an improved and enabling environment for civic space that allow individuals, civil society and communities to know, speak, engage and operate freely. To achieve this, the rights to freedom of information, free media, freedom of association, and freedom of peaceful assembly must be fully recognised and enabled.<\/p>\n
The importance of these rights has been recognised in the Millennium Declaration, the Rio+ 20 declaration and numerous UN papers. These rights are also highlighted in the report of the High Level Panel of Eminent Persons and in the recommendations of the Open Working Group, both of which recommended that access to information and the protection of fundamental freedoms be included as targets. However, even with the crucial role these rights play in development, they are largely unincorporated in currently agreed development mechanisms and were conspicuous by their absence in the Millennium Development Goals.<\/p>\n
As you acknowledged in your \u201cFreedom Lecture\u201d speech last year at the University of Leiden, civil society is under increasing pressure: journalists and human rights defenders are imprisoned; internet and media outlets are shut down; and peaceful protests are banned. These issues need to be addressed as part of the SDGs or they will continue to hinder development progress and the data revolution will be restricted to the status quo of limited and unreliable information by the few, for the few, instead of access to information by everyone, for everyone, and the ability to act upon it.<\/p>\n
Mr. Secretary General, today is globally recognised as \u201cRight to Know Day\u201d. Governments and civil society organisations around the world will celebrate the progress made so far to ensure everyone is empowered to have greater control over their lives by better knowing how governments operate. Please take the time today to ensure these rights are not forgotten in the SDGs.<\/p>\n
Thank you for your consideration. If your office wishes to discuss this further, please contact us.<\/p>\n
Yours sincerely,<\/p>\n
ARTICLE 19
\nAccess Info Europe
\nAccun pour la Culture Num\u00e9rique
\nAction 2015 National team-Sri Lanka
\nActive Remedy Ltd
\nAdevarul (The Truth)
\nAfrica Freedom of Information Centre
\nAlbanian Media Institute
\nAmnesty International
\nArlan
\nAsociaci\u00f3n Gesti\u00f3n Salud Poblaci\u00f3n
\nAssociation Al Bawsala
\nAssociation for Freedom of Thought and Expression
\nAssociation I Watch \u2013 Tunisia
\nAssociation Nig\u00e9rienne des Femmes Dipl\u00f4m\u00e9es
\nAssociation of Caribbean Media Workers
\nAssociation of Private Nature Reserves of Minas Gerais State
\nAssociation TANSA
\nAssociation Tunisienne de Soutien Aux Minorit\u00e9s
\nAssociation Tunisienne des Contr\u00f4leurs Publics
\nAssociation Vigilance pour la D\u00e9mocratie et l\u2019Etat Civique
\nAssociazione Museo Energia
\nBahrain Center for Human Rights
\nBBC Media Action
\nBelarusian Association of Journalists
\nCAFSO-WRAG for Development
\nCambodian Center for Human Rights
\nCampaign2015+ International
\nCanadian Journalists for Free Expression
\nCaribbean Policy Development Centre
\nCEEweb for Biodiversity
\nCenter for Media Freedom and Responsibility
\nCentre for Human Rights and Climate Change Research
\nCentre for Independent Journalism \u2013 Malaysia
\nCentre for Law and Democracy
\nCentre for Sustainable Development and Education in Africa
\nCentro de Reportes Informativos sobre Guatemala \u2013 CERIGUA
\nCF Sange Research Center
\nCIDAC
\nCivil Society Partnership for Development Effectiveness
\nCOLLECTIF 24
\nComit\u00e9 por la Libre Expresi\u00f3n \u2013 C-Libre
\nComit\u00e9 S\u00e9n\u00e9galais des Droits de l\u2019Homme
\nCorruption Watch UK
\nEDW ENERGIA
\nFederation of SUNFO Global Youth Forum
\nFEMNET \u2013 The African Women\u2019s Development and Communication Network
\nFinnish NGDO platform to the EU
\nFinnish NGO Platform KEPA
\nFondation Mohamed Belmufti Pour La Justice et Les Libert\u00e9s
\nForo de Periodismo Argentino
\nFoundation for Press Freedom \u2013 FLIP
\nFreedom Forum
\nFreedom House
\nFundamedios \u2013 Andean Foundation for Media Observation and Study
\nGCAP Sri Lanka
\nGroupe AGORA pour les Droits de l\u2019enfant et la paix (GRA-REDP)
\nHong Kong Journalists Association
\nIMove 2015 Campaign Sri Lanka
\nInitiative for Freedom of Expression \u2013 Turkey
\nInstitut panafricain pour la Citoyennet\u00e9, les Consommateurs et le D\u00e9veloppement
\nInstitute for Economic Research on Innovation
\nInstitute for the Studies on Free Flow of Information
\nInstituto de Estudos de Direito e Cidadania
\nInstituto Internacional de Derecho y Medio Ambiente
\nInstituto o Direito por um Planeta Verde
\nInstituto Prensa y Sociedad de Venezuela
\nInternational Federation of Journalists, Asia Pacific
\nInternational Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
\nInternational Publishers Association
\nInterregional Union of Life Help for Mentally Handicapped Persons \u201cSail of Hope\u201d
\nJournaliste en danger
\nKikandwa Environmental Association
\nLa Ligue Tunisienne des droits de l\u2019Homme
\nLaborat\u00f3rio de Educa\u00e7\u00e3o e Pol\u00edtica Ambiental \u2013 OCA USP
\nLe Labo D\u00e9mocratique
\nLigue Africaine des blogueurs et activistes pour la d\u00e9mocratie
\nLigue S\u00e9n\u00e9galaise des Droits de l\u2019Homme
\nMaharat Foundation
\nMedia Institute of Southern Africa
\nMedia Watch
\nMedia, Entertainment and Arts Alliance
\nMediaLink
\nMetamorphosis, Foundation for Internet and Society
\nMujer y Sociedad
\nMujeres Mundi
\nNational Union of Somali Journalists
\nNGO Federation of Nepal
\nObservatoire Tunisien de l\u2019Ind\u00e9pendance de la Magistrature
\nOrganisation nationale des droits l\u2019homme
\nPacific Islands News Association
\nPakistan Fisherfolk Forum
\nPakistan Press Foundation
\nPalestinian Center for Development and Media freedoms (MADA)
\nPEN American Center
\nPraveenLata Sansthan
\nPRESSAFRIK
\nPro Media
\nPublic Association \u201cJournalists\u201d
\nPublish What You Fund
\nRamfa \u201cRehomfa\u201d Welfare Org
\nRede Latinoamericana do Minist\u00e9rio P\u00fablico Ambiental
\nRencontre Africaine pour la D\u00e9fense des Droits de l\u2019Homme (RADDHO)
\nReporters Without Borders
\nRequest Initiative
\nR\u00e9seau des Organisations F\u00e9minines d\u2019Afrique Francophone
\nRestless Development
\nRight to Information Coalition Ghana
\nRightsWay International
\nSecond Chance foundation
\nSection S\u00e9n\u00e9galaise de la Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Internationale pour les Droits Humains
\nSoutheast Asian Press Alliance
\nSouthern Minas Gerais Institute for Nature Studies and Conservation
\nSouthwest Freedom of Information Act Network
\nSri Lanka United Nations Friendship Organization
\nStichting Bakens Verzet (NGO Another Way)
\nSunlight Foundation
\nTerra-1530
\nThe Climate Reality Project Canada
\nTobacco Free Association of Zambia
\nTunisian Association for the Advancement of Science, Technology and Innovation
\nUnion des Radios Associatives et Communautaires, Senegal
\nUnion des Tunisiens Ind\u00e9pendants pour la Libert\u00e9
\nUni\u00f3n Nacional de Instituciones para el Trabajo de Acci\u00f3n Social-UNITAS
\nVoice
\nWest African Journalists Association
\nWhistleblower-Network Germany
\nWorld Association of Community Radio Broadcasters \u2013 AMARC
\nZambia Heart and Stroke Foundation
\nZo Indigenous Forum<\/p>\n