Simon Kofe. September 2023. Photo: Twittter.com/@Simon_Kofe
The Tuvalu government is trying to bolster anti-corruption measures through a 'Right to Information' framework.
Transport, Energy, and Communications minister Simon Kofe said the framework will allow citizens to better question the government and journalists to hold leaders to account through readily available and accurate official information.
Kofe said that while the project is in the early stages, he hopes legislation will be passed eventually.
He said the initiative is being funded by Canada and led by the University of the South Pacific.
"The project is focused mainly at the moment on training and capacity building for women, for youth, journalists - just to build a capacity to be able to use tools that are available for them to question the government [and] to keep the government accountable," he said.
"The launch is basically the beginning of this journey, and the hope is that it will lead to the development of legal framework.
"We're hoping that legislation will be passed eventually, but this is the starting point."
Last year, Transparency International Vanuatu executive director Willie Tokon told RNZ Pacific that nations across the region are deprived of their right to access information because they do not have robust avenues to hold people in power accountable.
Transparency International Papua New Guinea spokesperson Yuambari Haihuie said last year that significant steps had been taken to establish a framework like New Zealand's Official Information Act (OIA) in PNG.
Haihuie said it is essential for a democratic society to function.
In New Zealand, the OIA allows people to request government documentation, including correspondence.
A 2020 UN report said among the Pacific Islands countries that have not formally adopted right-to-information (RTI) laws, there has been "appreciable momentum in the advancement of RTI".
This included Nauru proposing the appointment of an Ombudsman to be responsible for the development of an RTI regime in 2009; Tonga launching an Information Disclosure Policy in 2012; and Kiribati developing an RTI strategy in 2014, followed by draft RTI law.
Kofe said freedom of expression is already guaranteed under Tuvalu's constitution, which includes the right to receive information without interference.
However, he said more government scrutiny is needed by media in their small island community.
"I think in any democratic country, it's important that you have a media that is independent and that's effective operating because that's also a way to hold the government accountable.
"I think this needs to be a bit of a cultural change as well - I think there is not enough that is being done from the side of the media, the journalists, and even just the people too, to question the government.
"But there's also responsibility on our part to ensure that information is available and accessible to the public.
"So, I think there's a lot of work to be done on both sides."
