Former US President Jimmy Carter, Vice-President John Mahama, Attorney General Betty Mould Iddrisu and Sanjay Pradhan, Vice President of the World Bank Institute are leading speakers at the African Regional Conference on the Right of Access to Information to held at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra between February 7 and 9. Organised by the Carter Centre and other African partners, the conference is to advance the right of access to information on the continent. Participants will be drawn from governments, regional and international institutions, civil society, media and the private sector from at least 15 focus countries on the continent. In-depth discussions will be held on the four main objectives of the conference:

• Identify and explore challenges and potential solutions specific to Africa;
• Bring together stakeholders to enhance a regional community of practice;
• Encourage multi-stakeholder national clusters to advance the right of access to information;
• Create and disseminate regional findings and a plan of action.

The first day of the conference will be chaired by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and will reflect on the state of the right to information in Africa. In addition, plenary panels will focus on questions such as "Does transparency matter?" and "If so, why have African countries not advanced further?" These panels will spotlight the value of transparency for managing oil revenues, addressing climate change, and improving development, as well as providing seeds for discussion on political commitment, institutional capacity, and civil society engagement. These plenary sessions will serve to inform the discussions that will take place during the remainder of the conference. See a complete programme at this link. The second day will be dedicated to group work, with the participants strategically placed into one of five multi-stakeholder groups to explore:

• Politics and Economy: shifting the balance toward openness
• Structural Context and Culture: creating an environment for transparency
• Non-State and Multi-lateral Actors: examining roles and responsibilities
• Regional Norm-building: considering regional instruments and standards
• Demand and Use of New Technology: engaging citizens and increasing awareness.

These working groups will examine the challenges to the passage and implementation of the law, constraints, and next generation issues, as well as engage the issue of impact—topics that without our consideration could undermine past advances or retard future gains in the right to information. Each of these working groups will be led by a well-known facilitator with expert rapporteurs, and will be tasked with creating a set of findings and recommendations for the action plan. On the final day the conference will convene in plenary for working group reports and to consider a draft of regional findings and an action plan. Time will be provided for country clusters to meet and discuss how the action plan may be applied in their countries, and how they might work together to advance critical points. The concluding plenary will seek consensus for the regional action plan, identify specific actors to advance the recommendations, and consider means of monitoring and reporting on progress. At the conclusion of the regional conference, the action plan will be widely disseminated through online postings and news articles, and forwarded to each African head of state with a cover letter from President Carter. The Carter Center also will provide technical support to the regional community of practice and country clusters, monitor progress of the action plan, and provide periodic updates on implementation and impact of the African Regional Findings and Plan of Action. See a complete programme at this link. Myjoyonline.com/Ghana