Thread by @althecat

This (2nd image) is what >> un.org/ruleoflaw/them… << the @UN says about the the need for Freedom of Information laws to be in place in nation states to protect freedom of expression as per the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

And this is a recent (2020) statement issued by the independent OHCHR [Office of the high commissioner of human rights] issued about the absence of implementation of Freedom of Information within UN institutions. ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/…

“The UN and many international organizations lack the kind of freedom of information policies that are increasingly the norm among governments,” - David Kaye said before presenting a new report to the UN General Assembly.

“Several [orgs] have adopted access to info. policies, some.. effective & relatively transparent. This is the case in specific areas of" environment, financial institutions & development.

But “access policies.. provide too much discretion for organizations to deny requests."

"There remains real room for improvement, especially in the need for disciplinary sanctions when officials retaliate against whistleblowers and for greater institutional commitment to promoting whistleblowing and the protection of the people involved,” Mr. Kaye said.

“Particularly in an era of misinformation and propaganda, I urge the UN and other international organizations, as well as States and civil society, to take up the cause of freedom of information."

“Too much doubt and distrust, for good reason, have infected governments worldwide, and one key remedy may be found in the kind of transparency and accountability that freedom of information can provide,” he said.

These observations are very pertinent with respect to the unfolding @UNEthiopia #UNAccountabilityCrisis in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa.

This - "doubt and distrust, for good reason, have infected governments worldwide" - precisely describes the circumstances that led to the recent expulsion of seven UN officials by the Govt. of Ethiopia.

It is alleged in Ethiopia there has been deliberate withholding of info.

The absence of transparency mechanisms to hold senior officials responsible is a key component in my view of the systemic failure in the UN's humanitarian efforts in the Tigray conflict. This cause ought to be inquired into.

/ENDS

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