1. African Media Leaders
Forum
By Edetaen Ojo
November 11, 2011
Tunis, Tunisia

2. What is APAI?
 APAI seeks to establish clear &
comprehensive principles to guide the
promotion & protection of the right of ATI
in Africa through the adoption & effective
implementation of appropriate national
laws & regulations.
 The development of the Declaration was
shepherded by the Working Group on
the Windhoek+20 Campaign on Access
to Information in Africa

3. What is APAI?
 APAI was adopted on Sept 19, 2011 in Cape
Town, at the special session of the Africa
Information & Media Summit (AIMS) .
 AIMS was a joint final session of several
conferences & meetings, including the
PACAI, Highway Africa; the Digital Citizens
Indaba, TAEF; the South African National Editors
Forum (SANEF); AMI & Journalism Educators
drawn from UNESCO’s Centres of Excellence in
Journalism Education.
 It was adopted upon a motion by Adv. Pansy
Tlakula, Special Rapporteur on FoE & ATI in
3
Africa & seconded by Hon. Norris Tweah, Dep

4. Key Elements of APAI
 APAI sets out the background to the
Declaration in a fairly lengthy preamble
 The Preamble notes the 1991
Windhoek Declaration on Promoting an
Independent and Pluralistic African
Press & the progress made in the last
20 years on FoE, ATI & the free flow of
information;
 It also references several previous
instruments & documents, including:

5. Key Elements of APAI
 Article 19 of the UDHR of 10 Dec
1948
 The UN Human Rights Committee
General Comment No. 34 adopted in
2011
 Article 9 of the ACHPR adopted by
the OAU on 27 June 1981
 Article IV(1) of the Declaration of
Principles on FoE in Africa, adopted
by the ACommHPR in Oct 2002

6. Key Elements of APAI
 Article 9 of the AU Convention on
Preventing and Combating
Corruption, adopted on 11 July 2003
 Article 2(10) of the African Charter on
Democracy, Elections and
Governance, adopted on 30 Jan
2007
 Article 6 of the African Charter on
Values and Principles of Public Service
and Administration, adopted on 31

7. Key Elements of APAI
The Preamble also notes:
 The ongoing efforts of the ACommHPR
Special Rapporteur on FoE & ATI to
develop a Model Law on ATI for AU
Member States
 The previous efforts of international
organisations & others to develop
principles & declarations on ATI & FoE
 The work of the AUC to give practical
expression to various instruments of the

8. Key Elements of APAI
 In the substantive part of the
Declaration, there is a set of 14 “Key
Principles”, outlining some of the most
critical issues & standards relating to
ATI laws & their implementation.
 These are then followed by a section on
“Application of Principles” which
provides guidance & sets standards for
the application of these principles in 13
major sectors or areas.

9. Call to Action
The final section of the
Declaration is a “Call to Action”
targeted at a number of
institutions & sectors.
Each of the institutions or
sectors is required to carry out
specific actions or play specific
roles in promoting

10. Call to Action
 These sectors/institutions include:
 UNESCO
 The African Union, its Organs & Institutions
 Other African Regional Organizations &
Institutions
 National Governments of AU member states
 Civil Society
 Media
 Business Sector Companies & Corporations
 Public & Private Donors

11. Key Outcomes of APAI
Ultimately, APAI seeks, among other things,
3 concrete outcomes, namely:
 Proclamation by the UN General Assembly of
28 Sept as International Right to Information
Day, as a date to raise awareness about the
importance of the right of ATI throughout the
world
 The adoption by the AU Summit of 28 Sept
as African “Right to Information Day”
 The development & adoption by the AU of a
legally binding instrument on access to

12. Conclusion
 The Windhoek+20 Campaign Working Group
is requesting this Forum to endorse the
Declaration.
 Such an endorsement will bolster planned
advocacy efforts at the regional &
international levels.
 These efforts are aimed at getting the AU &
the UN to recognize the Declaration, apply
the principles contained in it & proclaim as
International Right to Information Day
12
September 28, which is currently being

13. Thank You!