By Karina Banfi August 2011 Alianza Regional por la Libre Expresin e Informacins Review

The Alianza Regional por la Libre Expresin e Informacin is today an established network of 24 organizations from 18 countries in the Americas. The Alianza Regional is formed by the different countries that are members and creates agenda based on addressing local issues with regional force and perspective. Herein lays one of its greatest values. The Alianza articulates the geographic diversity and knowledge of the member organizations with an agenda of consensus, each members efforts at the local level with an impact within international organizations and the lessons learned from the experience with each new challenge faced by others. Since its beginning, the Alianza Regional has conducted more than 175 regional activities; 6 annual meetings, in which we worked in the regional agenda on freedom of expression and access to information; and an advanced process of institutionalization. This shows that the participation of the member organizations acts as the motor and the basis of this collective idea that represents the Alianza Regional por la Libre Expresin e Informacin. In June 2011, during the Sixth Annual Meeting in San Salvador, the Alianza Regional consolidated the process of institutional strengthening of the network, by adopting the Institutional Policies that contain the working criteria, principles and rules of coexistence within the Alianza. These policies were developed by a team of experts in institutional development, and were the beginning of a re-founding process of the network. Currently, we are in the implementing process of these policies. Also, in the framework of the commitments assumed in the 2011 Plan of Action, the Alianza Regional worked with the organization Wingu in changing the institutional image: the name; the creation of the Executive Secretariats blog (http://lasecretariaejecutiva.org/), used as a tool for the dissemination of the operational work carried out by the Secretariat, the processes of collective construction of actions and projects. We are currently working on developing a new website, the creation of a semi-annual newsletter and the new intranet platform to improve internal and external communication of the Alianza. The Executive Secretariat has a volunteering program, which aims to be spread thorough the region. The working strategy of the Alianza is to conduct various activities for advocacy that promote freedom of expression and access to information. The Alianza Regional carries out its activities from 4 areas or dimensions: (i) Horizontal cooperation (ii) Different branches of the State (iii) International and regional bodies (iv) Other areas or actors (such as non-members of the Alianza, other networks and journalists) In addition, the Alianza Regional carries out mainly 5 types of interventions to promote better practices within countries and the region:

By Karina Banfi August 2011 (i) Actions of strategic litigation (ii) Trainings and technical assistance (iii) Communication for advocacy (iv) Lobbying and meetings with key actors (v) Applied research Through the intervention actions within international bodies, it was achieved that in the year 2010, the Alianza Regional participated in the development of the Inter-American Model Law on Access to Information. Currently we accompany campaigns and seminars organized by the Organization of American States (OAS), to raise awareness of the law March 2011 in Mexico and June 2011 in Dominican Republic-, in both cases several member organizations of the Alianza participated. In October, the Alianza Regional will be asking for a thematic hearing before the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR), where we will discuss the progress and setbacks in terms of access to information. It would also present the conclusions and dissemination of the study Venciendo el Secreto, produced by several member organizations and coordinated by CAinfo Uruguay; as well as a report of the Alianza Regional regarding the status of the compliance with the obligation of exercising this right and the report Saber Ms III, presenting results on access to information and protection of personal data. Similarly, regarding intervention action within States, the Alianza Regional has carried out activities in those countries where the situation regarding freedom of expression and governance is sensitive. It is worth noting the activities carried out in Venezuela and Ecuador. Venezuela: in 2010, we participated in the dissemination of the Declaracin de la Alianza Regional in the framework of the International Conference on Public Management. In December, a campaign on letters to the presidents of the Americas was carried out, in which they were warned of the events in Venezuela on freedom of expression and the effects that could result in the region. The organizations Article 19 Brasil and the Transparency International joined the activity. In recent times, the situation in Ecuador placed particular attention within the member organizations of the Alianza and increased the demand to take action. The Alianza sent a Letter to President Rafael Correa and Minister Alexandra Ocles, People, Social Movements and Citizen Secretariat, expressing concern about the treatment in the exercise of freedom of expression and association. We received a disturbing response from the presidency. Also, in March, the Alianza asked for an informal meeting with Commissioner from the IACHR, Jos de Jess Orozco Henrquez, in which we raised the worrying situation in Ecuador. During this activity, we also drew attention to Bolivia, with the result that Commissioner Orozco assumed to be more involved in the situation in the Andean region. Regarding incidence within the legislative branch, the Alianza Regional continues supporting the process of approval of laws on access to information. In Argentina, we facilitated several meetings with congressmen and senators, for the local groups of organizations promoting the bill. In Ecuador and Dominican Republic we are collaborating in the process of legislative reform of the access to information law. In the Andean country, the Alianza worked on adapting the current law to the standards of the Inter-American Model Law, to improve its implementation, as we worked in

By Karina Banfi August 2011 Dominican Republic in remarks to the bill that includes a guarantor body. The Alianza Regional contributed commenting on the draft law on access to information in Bolivia. The involvement of the Alianza Regional, since 2008, in the process of approval of the law on access to information in El Salvador, motivated even more the member organizations to participate in parliamentary incidence, accompanying local leadership. An Open Letter to President Dilma Rousseff of the Federative Republic of Brazil was sent, in which the Alianza Regional stressed the importance of that country to enact a law on transparency and access to information; and served for local incidence and facilitate the exchange of regional experiences in which we work. This September, the Alianza Regional plans to develop new activities in Paraguay; we are organizing the Week of Transparency, with the support of the World Bank and participation of journalist from Uruguay and Chile, and the presence of the Rapporteur of Freedom of Expression of the IACHR, Catalina Botero, as well as congressmen from Chile and Brazil who promote access to information. Another form of intervention of the Alianza Regional, are actions of strategic litigation. During 2010 and 2011, the Alianza Regional has presented three Amicus Briefs and adhered to another one of a member organization. The Alianza Regional presented an Amicus Brief before the Supreme Court of Justice of Paraguay in the case Defensora del Pueblo vs. Municipalidad de San Lorenzo, a case being carried out by the lawyers of the Instituto de Derecho y Economa Ambiental - Paraguay, member organization of the Alianza. The case concerns access to information on the structure and municipal employees. In December 2010, the Alianza Regional presented an Amicus Brief before the Supreme Court of Argentina, in the case of the Asociacin por los Derechos Civiles - Argentina called CIPPEC c./ Estado Nacional Ministerio de Desarrollo Social Dto 1.172/03 s./ Amparo Ley 16.986. The issue revolves around the access to information on statistics of beneficiaries of social plans. As in the case of Paraguay, we are still awaiting resolution by the Supreme Court. Recently, the Alianza Regional adhered to an Amicus Brief promoted by Fundar - Mxico and Article 19, in a case concerning the allocation of official advertising to community radios. In July 2011, the Supreme Court of Mexico ruled the case in favor of the community radio, to recognize that the denial by the Ministry of Health to allocate official advertising to this radio, was a violation to freedom of expression and the right to information. Finally, on July 19th, 2011 we presented an Amicus Brief before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, in the case Pueblo Indgena Kichwa de Sarayaku vs. Ecuador, sponsored by the Center of Justice and International Law (CEJIL). This case highlighted the obligation of the State in the dissemination of public activities (active transparency) as part of the right of access to information. In this case, the failure to comply with this, prevented the effective participation of indigenous communities in decision-making processes on industrial projects (extractive industries), that have the potential to affect their territory, their quality of life and their very survival.

By Karina Banfi August 2011 For the Right to Know Day, the Alianza Regional will publish worldwide the report Saber Ms III which will contain a series of investigations that examine the status of personal data protection and access to public information. It will analyze the relationship between these rights and their tensions, taking into account the treatment being given in United States, Europe and Latin America. This work is part of the applied research conducted by the Alianza Regional.