With the title “Incorporating access to information and participation in the public sector”, the encounter It brought together dozens of experts, public officials, commissioners and transparency bodies from some thirty countries, as well as representatives of multilateral agencies.

UNESCO recalls that while significant progress has been made in increasing public access to information since the adoption of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, much remains to be done. Nearly one-third of UN Member States have yet to commit to legislation on access to information.

The President of the Council intervened in the panel 'The role of information commissioners and courts in the integration of the public right to know', where he presented the function that the Council develops as an independent authority of supervision of this essential right and explained the Spanish model of public transparency.

He called for more resources to be allocated to strengthening both administrative structures and independent oversight bodies and authorities so that access to public information by citizens, transparency and accountability can be ensured.

He also recalled that since October 1 Spain co-chairs the Alliance for Open Government and that in the autumn of 2025 it will host the world summit of this multilateral initiative that promotes open government.

The panel was also attended by the President of the International Conference of Information Commissioners and Commissioner of the National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and Personal Data Protection (INAI) of Mexico, Blanca Lilia Ibarra Cadena; the Executive Secretary of the Ghana Right to Information Commission, Yaw Boateng; the President of the South African Information Regulatory Agency, Pansy Tlakula; and the Head of the Freedom of Information Division of the German Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom Schlokula.

The session was moderated by the Commissioner of the Kenyan Administrative Justice Commission, Lucy N’Dugu, and the Program Manager of Fesmedia Africa (Namibia), Dickson Kasote, spoke as rapporteur.

The World Conference has been organized on the occasion of the celebration of the International Day of Universal Access to Information, which takes place every 28 September, and which was proclaimed in 2015 by the General Conference of UNESCO and in 2018 by the 74th General Assembly of the United Nations.

Conference participants adopted a final declaration with the working title “Harnessing the Power of Data for Positive Change: A Commitment to Access to Information.”