THE African Platform on Access to Information Working Group has announced the availability of the second draft of its declaration online at www.windhoekplus20.org for public viewing, The Declaration will be presented to over 150 delegates at the Pan African Conference on Access to Information, which will be held in Cape Town from September 17 to 19, 2011.

The development of the African Platform on Access to Information (APAI) Declaration is part of an intercontinental initiative to promote access to information on the continent 20 years after the Windhoek Declaration on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press.

The APAIA declaration is intended to elaborate on the right of access to information on the continent, and to set out minimum standards for access to information at a national level.

“Access to information has become increasingly important in our modern world, and affects every area of life from health to education. Making the second draft available for comment will provide the public with a unique opportunity to have their voices heard, and to take an active role in the Windhoek+20 Campaign, and to ensure that the document reflects a wide variety of issues that concern modern African Society,” Karen Malone, Media Law Policy and Advocacy specialist and coordinator of PACAI conference said.

Opinions and comments on the draft declaration can be forwarded to (www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=132765490094257&ref=ts). The best comments and opinions will be posted on the Windhoek+20 website (www.windhoekplus20.org).

In addition, the public will be able to comment on the declaration, as well as access information on the upcoming conference on the newly launched PACAI Conference website at www.pacaia.org