The Right to Access Information Commission (RAIC) observed this year’s International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI 2025) on Thursday 25th September 2025 at Family Kingdom Resort in Freetown. The commemoration featured speeches of key stakeholders on access to information, especially on the theme “Ensuring Access to Environmental Information in the Digital Age”. Also, in line with the international theme, the Commission also trained government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and some civil society organizations (CSOs) on the use of the upgraded digital access to information platforms of the Commission.
RAIC boss, Dr Seaga Shaw, making an opening statement
In his opening statement, Dr Ibrahim Seaga Shaw, the Chairman and Information Commissioner of RAIC, said the International Day for Universal Access to Information is not only a day, but one that recognizes a fundamental human right and an enabler of growth and sustainable development, nothing that the said enabler is the right to access information laced with the duty of public authorities to timely and accordingly process and provide information, reactively and/or proactively.
Giving the background of IDUAI, Dr Seaga Shaw cited that UNESCO, the world’s body monitoring the status of access to information worldwide, declared on 17th November 2015 that the International Day for Universal Access to Information be marked and celebrated on 28 September every year, saying, four years later, the same declaration was recognized and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. Dr Shaw noted that Sierra Leone was through the efforts of his Commission, honoured to be among 6 countries that co-sponsored this resolution. He added that this year’s commemoration 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 right to information worldwide.
RAIC chair flanked by members of the high table at the event
It is worth noting that the IDUAI 2025 Global Conference is hosted by UNESCO and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and will take placein Manila, the Philippines on 29–30 September 2025 on the theme “Ensuring Access to Environmental Information in the Digital Age“. This year’s 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 development, focusing on timely, comprehensive, and cross-border access to environmental information in an increasingly digital world.
The RAIC boss simplified environmental data as information on climate change, pollution, biodiversity, and disaster risks transcending national borders, necessitating collaborative, transparent, and innovative global sharing of information.
“As the world continues to grapple with environmental challenges like natural and man-made disasters, there is an obvious need for environmental literacy. However, such literacy cannot be achieved without accurate and reliable data on the environment and the unhindered access to such data for informed decisions and actions to mitigate the effects of environmental vices.
The advancement in digital technology serves as an enabler to expedite data processing and access, thus, digital technology is central in raising awareness and taking actions to save our environments and ourselves. As part of our in-country commemoration of this year’s IDUAI, the Right to Access Information Commission, in alignment with global observance, will commemorate IDUAI 2025 by convening stakeholders to reflect on progress, challenges, and innovations in promoting universal access to information in light of digital realities, opportunities and challenges,” he said.
Participants and cross section of RAIC staff
On why RAIC observed the day on Thursday 25th instead of the actual Sunday 28th September, Dr Seaga Shaw mentioned that, given that the official date falls on a Sunday and Friday being a half-working day, the RAIC decides to observe the event on Thursday. “Also, due to limited funding, the RAIC has decided to kill two birds with one stone by combining the hosting of the IDUAI 2025 celebrations with popularization and capacity building on the Commission’s newly launched access to information digital platforms involving pilot state and non-state actors. This also speaks to the global theme recognizing the significant role of digital infrastructure in promoting access to information. We are of the conviction that the said development will augment our already sustained impressive regional and global rankings on access to information,” he explained.
The Chairman and Information Commissioner of the RAIC informed participants and guests that Sierra Leone, through the RAIC, has won the bid to host the International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) 2026, adding the Global IDUAI Conference is also going to take place in Sierra Leone next year. “Next year, the world will converge in Sierra Leone in observance of both ICIC and IDUAI,” Dr Seaga Shaw announced.
In her remark, the Deputy Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Hon Yema Mimi Sobba-Stephen, said access to information pertaining the environment gives us the understanding about the status of our forests, rivers, and change of weather, adding, “Without access to information about our environment, we cannot understand the challenges we face and decisions we take. When people have access to reliable environmental information, they are better able to make decisions that protect their lives, their livelihood and their future. The environment belongs to all of us; therefore, the knowledge about it should also be available to all of us.”
Representing the Chief Justice of the Judiciary of Sierra Leone, Elkass Sannoh stressed the importance of the celebration, pledging the Judiciary’s continued commitment in upholding and promoting access to information in consonance with the law.
“This is a worthy celebration as so much has been collectively achieved in promoting access to information in Sierra Leone. The theme is apt as communities across the world face unprecedented environmental challenges from deforestation and mining degradation to climate,” he noted.
Speaking on behalf of the President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists, Edward Marrah praised the leadership of RAIC for its continued efforts in steadily improving the status of access of information in the country and also performing impressively in regional and global rankings. He called on government and partners to provide the RAIC with the required supports to enable it do more and better.
Like other speakers, representatives from the Ministry of Information and Civic Education; the Environmental Protection Agency, Transparency International Sierra Leone and other key stakeholder institutions expressed the need for collaborative efforts to realize and sustain the flow of timely and reliable environmental information for better actions to protect the environment and save humanity from preventable disasters and other environment related challenges.
The commemoration of IDUAI 2025 was climaxed by a comprehensive, interactive and hands-on capacity building for public authorities on the effective use of the upgraded digital access to information infrastructure of the RAIC, a development that is believed to unprecedentedly increase the demand and supply of information seamlessly.
The Executive Secretary of RAIC, Hon Mustapha M Braima, thanked participants for gracing the event while he encouraged them to cascade the knowledge gained at the capacity building session to other staff of their respective institutions.
RAIC’s regional offices also held similar activities in commemoration of the day.
For media enquiries, contact:
Amara Thoronka
Public Information and Communications Officer
RAIC – National Secretariat
+232 88 283632 / +232 78 231949
