background preloader

Open Government Partnership

Open Government Partnership

Justice Doesn’t Come Cheap. Can the ICC Afford It? The Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) made public new findings on Tuesday with respect to alleged crimes committed in Nigeria. After receiving 59 complaints since 2005, the OTP has concluded that there are grounds to believe that Boko Haram, a militia group mainly active in northeastern Nigeria, has committed the crimes against humanity of murder and persecution. The OTP report said it had found that the group has, since July 2009, “launched a widespread and systematic attack that has resulted in the killing of more than 1,200 Christian and Muslims civilians in different locations throughout Nigeria.” This moves the OTP into the final stages of its decision whether to open a new investigation. The ICC depends on voluntary cooperation from states in order to implement its mandate. States have consistently demanded that the ICC comply with a “zero growth” approach to its budget. The Nigeria findings show that the demands on the OTP will not decrease.

GovTrack.us: Tracking the U.S. Congress home Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Access to water and sanitation is a fundamental human right and essential to life, health and dignity. Timely and adequate provision of clean water and sanitation services to uprooted people is particularly important, given the vulnerability of their situation. The UN believes that all refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people and returnees should have access to adequate drinking water whether they stay in camps or in urban areas [ECOSOC, 2002]. The provision of adequate sanitation services is equally important. But the optimum benefit from water and sanitation interventions can only be achieved if communities and individuals are made aware of the links between hygiene practices, poor sanitation, polluted water sources and disease. Special efforts have been made in recent years to address critical gaps in the provision of water and sanitation services. In 2009, UNHCR will continue to boost water and sanitation projects in operations around the world.

Participatory Politics Foundation Monitor | Wijzigingshistorie Vraag B12: Stelt de overheidsorganisatie via haar website haar ruimtelijke informatie voorzien van metadata vrij beschikbaar voor hergebruik? De Nederlandse rijksoverheid wil onder zo gunstig mogelijke condities informatie die in handen is van de overheid ter beschikking stellen aan burgers en bedrijven. Dit nadrukkelijk met het doel hergebruik, waaronder commercieel hergebruik, van die informatie door burgers en bedrijven te faciliteren. Voorwaarde voor een positieve score is dat de overheidsorganisatie de geo-informatie: 1. downloadbaar verstrekt; 2. verstrekt tegen hooguit de marginale verstrekkingkosten; 3. voorziet van meta-informatie met ten minste: o de inhoud; o de herkomst; en o de kwaliteit van de gegevens; 4. aanbiedt met een toelichting waar bovenstaande 3 onderdelen duidelijk naar voren komen; 5. aanbiedt zonder disclaimer(s).

World Security Institute Super Congress Debt Reduction Has Little Transparency WASHINGTON -- The proposed so-called "super Congress," created by congressional leaders in the debt deal and required to find $1.5 trillion in debt reduction over the next ten years, could wind up making those decisions behind closed doors, away from the public eye. The text of the budget deal reached by President Barack Obama and congressional leaders contains few specific public disclosure provisions for the committee. The standing committees of Congress are allowed to send suggestions for ways to reduce the debt to the super committee members, but there is, as yet, no provision for the disclosure of those reports. "Anything that they are getting should be made public," Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, said to HuffPost. Transparency advocates want to make sure the super committee operates in the open and in a manner that is responsive to the public, especially as it is tasked with crafting such an important policy.

Related: