Access to Information and Transparency Advice Center
Project period: July 2022 – June 2025
Financed by America for Bulgaria Foundation

The America for Bulgaria Foundation (ABF) is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonpolitical American grant-making foundation working in partnership with Bulgarians to strengthen the country’s private sector and related democratic institutions.

ABF builds on the success of the Bulgarian-American Enterprise Fund, an investment fund created in 1991 by the U.S. Congress with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development. For more information, please visit www.us4bg.org.

The statements and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the Access to Information Programme and do not necessarily reflect the views of the America for Bulgaria Foundation or its affiliates.

The goal for the project is to continue the advocacy and pressure for more transparent and accountable institutions and encourage citizens to form informed opinion.

Activities:

• Advocacy for legislation and policies
in compliance with international standards and court practices
• Provision of legal aid in access to information cases with a potential to increase government accountability and improve the conditions for business and investment in Bulgaria.
• Monitoring and advocacy for better access to information implementation practices.
• Audit on the web sites of the administrative courts and SAC
• Raising awareness campaign and education on access to information.
• Communication of all access to information achievements, success stories via the AIP communication channels and the media
• Participation in national and international networks to exchange experience and increase the scope of advocacy work

Results:

20th Right to Know Day Awards Ceremony The Access to Information Programme (AIP) opened the Call for Nominations for the Right to Know Day Awards Ceremony to be held online on September 28, 2022 in Bulgaria. The Right to Know Day is the strongest tool in the AIP campaign for encouraging the exercise of the right to information and pushing for enhanced government transparency and accountability. At the Right to Know Day Awards Ceremony, the AIP gives the Golden Key awards to citizens, journalists, and NGOs, who have actively exercised their right of access to information, and to the most open and transparent institutions. To dishonor bad practices, AIP gives anti-awards for the most non-transparent institution (Padlock) and for a most absurd/funny administrative decision on an access to information request (Tied Key). The 2022 Right to Know Day campaign is within the project Access to Information and Transparency Advice Center, supported by the America for Bulgaria Foundation.