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Focus on the importance of timely, comprehensive, and cross-border access to environmental information in an increasingly digital world

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  The 2025 International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) , hosted by UNESCO and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, will take place in Manila on 29–30 September 2025. This landmark event marks the 10th anniversary of the designation of 28 September as the International Day for Universal Access to Information, reflecting a decade of progress and challenges in the right to information worldwide. The theme for IDUAI 2025, “Ensuring Access to Environmental Information in the Digital Age”, focuses on the vital importance of timely, comprehensive, and cross-border access to environmental information in an increasingly digital world. Environmental data, encompassing climate change, pollution, biodiversity, and disaster risks, transcends national borders, necessitating collaborative, transparent, and innovative global sharing of information. This theme also highlight s how digital technologies and open data platforms can enhance public access, foster transpa...
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A Decade of the Paris Agreement: Evaluating the Right to Environmental Information for a Sustainable Future.

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Global Conference on Universal Access to Information 2025. 29–30 September 2025. Programme . 29 SEPTEMBRE 8:30 - 09:00 | Registration  09:00 – 09:30 | Opening Ceremony moderated by Ms Ida H. Pangan, Master of Ceremonies (Philippines) • Opening Remarks by Dave M. Gomez, Acting Secretary of the Presidential Communications Office • Keynote Speaker - H.E. Mr Nararya Soeprapto, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General for Community and Corporate Affairs (Indonesia) • Video Message from Mr Aidan Eyakuze, CEO, Open Government Partnership (OGP) Cultural Performance: Video Trailer (2 minutes)  09:30 – 11:00 | High-Level Panel | A  Decade of the Paris Agreement: Evaluating the Right to Environmental Information for a Sustainable Future   Description: The panel reflects on a decade of the Paris Agreement, focusing on how policies that guarantee access to environmental information strengthen regional cooperation, disaster preparedness, and climate action, advancing sustainable development...
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Incorporating Access to Big Data into Access to Information Laws.

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11:30 – 12:45 |  Panel 1: Incorporating Access to Big Data into Access to Information Laws  Description: This panel examines how legal frameworks can be adapted to incorporate big data, striking a balance between openness and privacy, as well as interoperability and ethical use. It is organised with the International Conference of Information Commissioners .  Moderator: Ms Ana Lomtadze, CI Advisor, (UNESCO)  Speakers: • Mr Ibrahim Shaw, Information Commissioner (Sierra Leone) • Ms Elizabeth Tydd, Information Commissioner, (Australia) • Mr Charles Dulo, Ombudsman, The Commission on Administrative Justice (Kenya) • Ms Ruth Abigail Sestoso, Undersecretary for Administration, Finance, GOCCs (Philippines) TBC Rapporteur: Ms Ingrid Mondet, Consultant, (UNESCO) CI/UAI  12:45– 13:45 | Lunch Break 
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The Role of Intergovernmental Organisations and Regional Conventions in Promoting Access to Environmental Information.

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13:45 – 15:00 |  Panel 2: The Role of Intergovernmental Organisations and Regional Conventions in Promoting Access to Environmental Information.  Description: The two panels will discuss different international standards-setting instruments, such as the Escazú Agreement & the Aarhus Convention, OECD and UNESCAP policies and the ATI Model Law for Small Island Developing States, aimed at strengthening the right to information on the regional level. A.  Regional Frameworks in Action: Escazú, Aarhus, and Beyond . Moderator: Mr Gilbert Sendugwa, Executive Director, African Freedom of Information Centre (Uganda) Speakers: • Ms Patricia Madrigal Cordero, Chair CSICEscazú Agreement (Costa Rica) • Ms Pansy Tlakula, Information and Privacy Commissioner (South Africa) • Ms Noriko Okubo, Co-leader of the Green Access Project, Osaka University (Japan) • Ms Marie Whelan, Policy Analyst, Innovative, Digital & Open Government Division (OECD) • Mr Manuel Castillo, Environmental Af...
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The UN System and Multilateral Coordination for Environmental Transparency.

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   15:00 – 16:00 |  Panel 3: The UN System and Multilateral Coordination for Environmental Transparency . Description: The panel will examine how the UN system and the international community encourage the promotion of access to environmental information Moderator: Ms Maki Katsuno-Hayashikawa, Director and Representative, UNESCO Office for Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste and Liaison to ASEAN (UNESCO)  Speakers: • Mr Arnaud Peral, UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines (United Nations) • Mr Hao Zhang, UN Resident Coordinator in the Maldives (United Nations) • Mr Bakhodir Burkhanov, UN Resident Coordinator (Laos) TBC • H.E. Ms Saija Nurminen, Finnish Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines • Mr Dmytro Shlapachenko, UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan (United Nations) Rapporteur: Ms Ana Lomtadze, CI Advisor (UNESCO)  16:00 – 16:15 | Coffee Break 
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(UNESCO) Initiatives for Information on Climate Change.

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16:15 – 17:15 |  Panel 4: (UNESCO) Initiatives for Information on Climate Change  Description: A presentation of (UNESCO)’s new initiatives, such as the  Global Initiative for Information on Climate Change  and the Global Roadmap for Information as a Public Good in the Face of the Environmental Crisis, will discuss efforts to combat misinformation, promote the integrity of environmental information, and uphold information as a public good.  Moderator: Ms Taria Turtia, Programme Specialist (UNESCO)  Speakers:  • H.E. Mr Raúl Fernandez Daza, Ambassador to France, Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Chile to UNESCO, Chair of the IPDC Council and Bureau (Chile)  • H.E. Mr Gilberto Fonseca Guimarães de Moura, Ambassador of Brazil in the Philippines (Brazil) TBC • Ms Imelda Abano, Environmental journalist and a media trainer (Philippines)  • Ms Heather Ford, Professor, University of Technology Sydney (Australia)  • Ms Vieira Zevonia, Chair o...
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Global Conference on Universal Access to Information 2025.

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  Hosted in Manila by UNESCO and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, this landmark event marks the 10th anniversary of the designation of 28 September as the International Day for Universal Access to Information, reflecting a decade of progress and challenges in the right to access to information worldwide. Global Conference on Universal Access to Information 2025. 29–30 September 2025. Programme 28 SEPTEMBRE 19:00 – 21:00 Welcome Reception (Exclusive for International Delegates)  28 SEPTEMBRE 8:30 - 09:00 | Registration  09:00 – 09:30 | Opening Ceremony moderated by Ms Ida H. Pangan, Master of Ceremonies (Philippines) • Opening Remarks by Dave M. Gomez, Acting Secretary of the Presidential Communications Office • Keynote Speaker - H.E. Mr Nararya Soeprapto, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General for Community and Corporate Affairs (Indonesia) • Video Message from Mr Aidan Eyakuze, CEO, Open Government Partnership (OGP) Cultural Performance: Video Trailer (2 minute...
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