International Day for Universal Access to Information

  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...

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...

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 

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...

   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 

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...

  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...

Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (1992) states that “Environmental issues are best handled with participation of all concerned citizens, at the relevant level. At the national level, each individual shall have appropriate access to information concerning the environment that is held by public authorities, including information on hazardous materials and activities in their communities, and the opportunity to participate in decision-making processes. States shall facilitate and encourage public awareness and participation by making information widely available. Effective access to judicial and administrative proceedings, including redress and remedy, shall be provided.” UN Environment promotes the implementation of Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration by supporting regional negotiation processes for a legally binding agreement that ensures access to information, public participation and justice in environmental matters. This support contributed to the...

The theme for the 2025 observance 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. Access to information is particularly important for populations at risk of environmental disaster due to climate change. This theme also highlights how digital technologies and open data platforms can enhance public access, foster transparency, and empower citizens and stakeholders to participate meaningfully in environmental governance and sustainable developmen t. Universal access to information is foundational for transparent, participatory, and accountable governance. Access to environmental information is crucial in this context. It is deeply linked to international environmental governance fr...

C.  Modernizing Legal Frameworks for the Digital Revolution in South & South East Asia Moderator: Ms Ma‘aly Hazzaz, CI Advisor (UNESCO) Speakers: • Ms Kishali Pinto, Information Commissioner (Sri Lanka)  • Mr Hanafi Ahmad, Executive Director, Indonesian Parliamentary Centre (Indonesia) • Mr Ritwick Dutta, Managing Trustee, Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (India)  • Ms Sara Hossain, Executive Director, Bangladesh Legal Aid Services Trust (Bangladesh)  • Mr Kristian R. Ablan, Assistant Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry (Philippines)  Rapporteur: Ms Nikka Mae Loreto, Project Coordinator (UNESCO) 9:00 – 9:15 | Opening Session moderated by Ms Ida H. Pangan, Master of Ceremonies (Philippines)  • Keynote Speaker: Mr Ricardo C. Pérez Manrique, Judge, Inter-American Court of Human Rights (Urugway) - video  9:15 – 9:45 | Fire Side Chat: (UNESCO)/CLD Global Information Request Initiative  • Mr Guilherme Canela, Director, Division fo...

9:45 – 10:45 |  Panel 5: Open Government for Environmental Information: Building Trust through Transparency  Description: The panel highlights how the Open Government Partnership is leveraging open data, transparency, and public participation on climate and environmental issues by showcasing concrete examples from OGP action plans and reform efforts. Organised with the Open Government Partnership Moderator: Ms Swati Mehta, Regional Lead for Asia and the Pacific, Open Government Partnership (India)  Speakers:  • Ms Cielo Magno, President, Bantay Kita/Publish What You Pay Philippines and OGP Steering Committee Co-Chair, (Philippines)  • Mr Secretary Robert Borje, Executive Director, Philippines Climate Change Commission (Philippines) • Mr Raynaldo Sembiring, Executive Director, Indonesian Centre for Environmental Law (Indonesia) Rapporteur: Ms Nikka Mae Loreto, Project Coordinator (UNESCO)  10:45 – 11:00 Coffee Break 

11:00 – 12:15 |  Panel 6: Access to Environmental Information – Regional Perspectives. Description: Two breakaway panels explore how cutting-edge digital technologies and big data analytics impact access to information and transparency in environmental issues. 

PANEL DISCUSSION D.  Digital Tools and Big Data for Environmental Transparency in Africa, organised with the African Alliance for Access to Data. Moderator: Ms Dube Hlengiwe, Project Manager, Centre for Human Rights (South Africa)  Speakers: • Ms Pria Chetty, Executive Director of Research ICT Africa (South Africa)  • Mr Stephen Moore, Founder and Director of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research Ghana (CAIRG) (Ghana)  • Mr Izak Minnaar, Convenor of the Access to Information Committee of the National Editors Forum (South Africa)  • Mr Amine El Mezouaghi, Director General, Digital Development Agency (Morocco)  Raporteur: Ms Ingrid Mondet, Consultant (UNESCO)

  PANEL DISCUSSION F.  The Role of Civil Society in Promoting Access to Environmental Information, organised with the Freedom of Information Advocates Network .  Moderator: Mr Nepomuceno Malaluan, CoConvenor, Right to Know, Right Now (Philippines) Speakers:  • Mr Alexander Kashumov, Executive Director, Access to Information Program (Bulgaria) • Mr Bruno Schimitt Morassutti, Co-founder and Advocacy Director at Fiquem Sabendo (Brazil)  • Ms Sarah Wesonga, Senior Program Manager, Article19 - Eastern Africa (Kenya)  Rapporteur: Ms Ana Lomtadze, CI Advisor (UNESCO) 13:30 – 14:00 | Closing Session  Closing remarks and Endorsement of the 2025 IDUAI Statement “Commitment to Agenda 2030 and Access to Environmental Information in the Asia-Pacific Region” by Mr Guilherme Canela, Director, Division for Digital Inclusion Policies and Digital Transformation and Mr Marius Lukosiunas, CI Advisor (UNESCO)  14:00 – 15:00 Lunch 15:00 – 19:00 Cultural Tour (Exclusive...