The right of access to information is a crucial human right. A number of different terms are used to describe the same right: freedom of information, right to information, right to know and access to information. They all refer to a key strategic right that can be used to help realise many other human rights.

Access to information is often seen as an elite right - in particular as something that is of interest to the media, or perhaps to researchers. It is true that the media have a particular interest in gaining easier access to official information.

However, the crucial importance of access to information is that this is a right that belongs to everyone. It can be especially useful as a tool in campaigning for economic and social rights.

Access to information has a wide variety of practical uses:

• It can expose corruption, making government and the economy more efficient.
• It can uncover mismanagement of food supplies, making shortages less likely.

• It can expose environmental hazards that threaten health and livelihoods.
• It can reduce the danger of human rights violations.
• It can increase popular participation in government and development.

And so on.

The right of access to information is based on the assumption that information held by public institutions is the property of the public. Governments are servants of the people, not their masters.

The automatic assumption should be that the information they hold is available to everyone, as of right.

In addition, there may be important circumstances when information held by private bodies should also be available to the public. This would certainly be the case if public services were being provided by private companies - privatisation, a phenomenon that is widespread today.

The public should also have access to information held by private bodies such as companies if this was needed to protect or realise their own rights.

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