Transparency Campaigning at Local Government to Curb Corruption
Proposal submitted to the Partnership for Transparency Fund
Submitted by Globe International
Date Submitted: April 26, 2010
Project Period: August 15 2010- August 15 2011
Project Total Budge: 39,526 US$
Amount Requested: 30, 000 US$
Other Funding: 9,526US$
ORGANIZATION
Name of Organization: Globe International
Registration No 1022733, Certificate of NGO No 1153
Address: Globe International
Chingeltei duureg. Khoroo No 6,
Diplomat 95 Complex, Entrance No1, # 6
Ulaanbaatar, 210620-A, P.O.B 28, Mongolia
Contact information: Tel/fax: (976-11) 32 47 64 Tel: (976-11) 32 47 64
Web Site Address: www.globeinter.org.mn, www. bia.mn
Project Leader: Kh.Naranjargal,
Project coordinator: Ch.Munkhzul,
Background of Organization
Globe International is a non-membership, non-profit-making and tax-exempted NGO founded in 1999 with mission to sustain Mongolian democracy and civil society, spread power of information and knowledge. Main strategic programs are "Supporting the Rights of Independent Media", "Promoting Good and Transparent Governance” and Public Empowerment". At Globe International we believe that information makes people powerful and brings changes. For more information on the programs and projects please visit our websites www.globeinter.org.mn and www.bia.mn
Globe International is keen to empower the journalists and the public through trainings, publications, media campaigns, media monitoring and other events. Globe International has implemented more than 80 projects since its establishment. . We have produced nearly 100 publications and organized around 200 events that directly involved more than 8,200 individuals. Lobe International is a member of the IFEX, Canadian-based international free expression organization, Internews International-Paris-based international media development NGO, Global Forum for Media Development and Forum Asia, Bangkok-based regional human rights network. We actively contributed to the development of National Anti-corruption Programme and National Human Rights Programme and its Action Plan. The leader of our organisation, Khashkhuu Naranjargal is member of NHRP Implementation COmmittee.
Globe International is active in promotion of the legal media environment through drafting laws, advocay and lobbying. We have played a key role in drafting and lobbying the Law on Public Radio and TV, which was enacted in 2005.
Globe International is proud that we have first raised and introduced the issues of freedom of information and distributed its concept and principles through wide public awareness campaign. Now, the Mongolian society is aware of its importance of access to information in transparent and accountable governance. As a result of our activities draft FOI law is available for passage by the Parliament.
In 2007, we have drafted a new version of the Law on State Secret and in 2008, we implemented the project to draft the laws on Protection of the confidential sources and abolishment of the criminal defamation and insult provisions. We have launched Free Expression Violation Monitoring program in 2005 and distribute the alerts through the national and international networks. We have been producing Media Freedom Reports over the last two years.
Globe International has been conducting several surveys, studies and analysis in the field. Latest examples are Instigate Survey on Access to Information, On the Road to PSB- Monitoring the transitional process, Monitoring report on the Government Transparency by order of Anti-Corruption Authority and conducted media monitoring on election coverage during the Parliamentarian and Presidential elections.
Globe International's major donors are OSI Networks, the US Embassy, UNESCO, Embassy of Great Britain and North Ireland. We used the grants of UNHCHR, UNICEF, AUSAID, Save the Children, UK, Mama Cash-Dutch Foundation, NDI, USA, the Asia Foundation, Partnership for Transparency Fund, KAS and others.
Globe International has good partnership with the local NGOs such as Open Society Forum, Press Institute, ZORIG Foundation, Democratic Education Center, Human Rights and Development Center, Voters’ Education Center and cooperates with many other civil society groups.
Globe International is managed by an independent Board consisted from 5 members and it has a highly-skilled staff of 8 permanent employees.
Globe International is a signatory of the NGO Code of Conducts.
PROJECT
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Access to information is essential to the health of democracy and the main criteria underpinning government transparency. It is one of essential tools to curb the corruption.
Globe International is seeking the support for a 12-month project titled “ Transparency Campaigning at Local Government to Curb Corruption“’.
Globe International is NGO founded in 1999 with mission to sustain Mongolian democracy and civil society, spread power of information and knowledge. It has implemented more than 80 projects since its establishment. . We have produced nearly 100 publications and organized around 200 events that directly involved more than 8,200 individuals. Globe International is managed by an independent Board consisted from 5 members and it has a highly-skilled staff of 8 permanent employees. Globe International is member of four international organizations: IFEX, , Forum Asia, Internews International and GFMD.
Globe International is a signatory of the NGO Code of Conducts. We actively contributed to the development of National Anti-corruption Program and National Human Rights Program and its Action Plan. The leader of our organization is member of NHRP Implementation Team. Globe International is experienced in drafting legislation, conducting monitoring and other researches, organizing trainings and publishing educational materials. We played a key role in passage of PSB Law and drafting FOI law.
We still feel that strong advocacy is need to make the government institutions more transparent and open, and we should transfer our skills and knowledge to others, particularly to those living in the rural area who lack awareness and knowledge on the public’s right to access to information and public participation is very low. So we are proposing the project with goal to improve the transparency of the local public organizations that able to respond to needs of information of the communities to curb corruption
Project Objectives:
· After 12 months, awareness of the local communities and the public officials on the public’s right to access information held by local public organizations, transparent governance and corruption raised
· After 12 months, issues concerning transparency and corruption at local level exposed through the monitoring and public organizations received the recommendations from their communities for better transparency and better public service
· After 12 months, facts of corruption exposed and local communities are capable to control corruption
After 12 months, the soum administrations approved a document Transparency in Action and the local citizens will be able to obtain information on the activities, finance and resources of the soum administrations
Main impact of the proposed project is that local people will be able to access the local government information.
The project activities will be mainly carried out in the provinces, particularly two baghs of two soums: Baynakhutag (Khentii aimag) and Guchin-Us (Ovorkhangai aimag). We have an agreement with the soums governors to cooperate in thse soums.
We propose to implement a project designed to carry out the following three inter-related of activities.
i) Raising awareness of the local communities that includes production of audio handbook and
community workshops in two baghs
ii) How to? campaign that includes one-day workshops for baghand soum officials s
and publication and “How to?” manual
iii) Transparency Action campaigning at two soums that that includes monitoring skills building training for 20 local NGOs representatives in two soums and conduct monitoring on transparency and Transparency actions for information openness of the local governments
The project will be implemented by Globe International project staff consisted from four persons. The project will be monitored through mid-term and final reports. We will take internal evaluations using questionnaires, SMSs and telephone calls.
The project total budget is 39,526 US$ and we wish to request 30,000 US$ to carry out the project activities.
2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Access to information held by public bodies is one of the essential issues to make the public institutions more transparent and open, and it plays an important role in combating corruption. The citizens without information is not powerful, so it is also crucial need to increase public participation and public control in opening the public information. Access to information is essential to the health of democracy. It ensures that citizens make informed choices rather than acting out of ignorance. Second, information serves as "checking function" by ensuring that elected representatives uphold their oath of office and carry out the wishes of those who elected them.
Globe International in cooperation with Article 19 has produced a report entitled "Mongolia in Transition: Legal Analysis on the Mongolian Legislation Affecting Freedoms of Expression and Information" in the framework of a project "Media Legal Reform" .(http://www.globeinter.org.mn/publications/pub_2_1_01_01.html/). The report noted that key problem in Mongolia is government transparency. Since 2002, Globe International has been focusing on promotion of the more transparent and accountable government through creation of more favorable legal environment. In 2003, we have started a wide public campaign to introduce the concept and principles of freedom of information under financial supports of the US Embassy, OSF (formerly MFOS) and AUSIAD. Over 2005- 2009, we have worked on state secrecy legislation reform and Freedom of information law with grants of the Embassies of the US and Great Britain and North Ireland in Ulaanbaatar.
As results of our activities, draft Law on Freedom of Information is available. Unfortunately, the law is delayed until now. Globe International leader is in the Parliament Working Group of Freedom of Information Law.
Apart from the delay of FOI legislation, in Mongolia there are several laws obliging the government institutions to be transparent and make information open to the public.
The basic law to refer is the Law on State Offices. Article 4.2 of this law says that Principles of activities the state offices shall be transparent (4.2.2) and shall service the people (4.2.3) and the Law on Solutions of the Citizens’ Applications and Complains to the State Organizations.
Project Duration 12 months
Estimated Dates August 15, 2010- July 15, 2011
Target Group Local communities of two baghs of two soums of Khentii and Ovorkhangai aimags
We have the agreements with Mr. Danzan, Governor of Guchin-Us soum of Ovorkhanga aimag and
Mr. Enkhbat, Governor of Bayankhutag soum of Khentii agimag
III. PROJECT JUSTIFICATION
Old Problems
Mongolian citizens’ right to information is guaranteed by the Constitution, but we are still missing law on freedom of information. The secrecy laws adopted by the government in the mid-1990s – and still on the books – are far too strict. Old laws still on the books are the Law on the State Secrecy, the Law on the List of State Secrecy, and the Law on the Organizational Secrecy. These laws allow government bureaucrats to prevent citizens and media from obtaining access to many documents that clearly are not justified as being called secret. Officials have used broad-sweeping laws to hide thousands of documents and other information from citizens. Often the secrecy covers up corruption and bribery that flourishes in many parts of the government.
At the same time the government uses secrecy laws to conceal information that ignores both its own 2004-2008 Action Plan that commits officials to “provide the citizens with rights to access any information” as well as Anti-Corruption laws that commit it to guarantee “transparency to the public.” Unfortunately, the actions of the government are quite the opposite to the stated intent of existing legislation. Government practices make it possible for virtually anything to be classified as “secret” and hidden from view for an indefinite period.
The absurdity of the high degree of government secrecy was made clear in 2006 when a team of Globe International researchers investigated the practical application of access and secrecy laws in 13 government institutions. The team developed a list of 15 inquiries – three of which GI felt were areas of secrecy and 12 where it felt the information should be made public. The government correctly refused to answer the three questions concerning state secrets, but it also refused to provide information concerning eight of the 12 questions involving areas where GI felt the information was clearly in the public interest.
In April 2007, the Anti-Corruption Agency ACA issued 18 articles of recommendations to governmental organizations aimed at improving transparency and access to information hold by the government institutions. The results of the monitoring carried out by Globe International show that government organizations are not fully committed or active in following the ACA recommendations. 40 percent of governmental organizations attempted to respond to ACA recommendations, 34 percent had actually heard about the recommendation and had not taken action, and 13 percent had no knowledge about what the ACA was doing.
New Opportunities
In 2002, Globe International has started " Right to Know: Freedom of Information" program with financial support of AUSAD, US Embassy and Soros Foundation and we have carried out a wide range of activities to distribute the ideas and principles of access to information.
Globe International was the leading media organization working with whatever to draft Mongolia’s first-ever proposed Freedom of Information legislation. The draft was submitted to the Parliament in May 2007. However, the government has not brought it forward for debate in Parliament because the proposed freedom-oriented legislation conflicts with several parts of the country’s existing security laws.
As results of our activities and support of other civil society groups such as OSF, a flurry of activity is about the take place in Mongolia as the government plans to deal with legislation concerning areas vital to the country’s citizens – State Secrecy, and Access to Information, and the law on media freedom.
To begin with, the Parliament has set up its Working Group to work on the preparation of a draft of new Secrecy legislation. They are planning to amalgamate and review all aspects of the two current laws into one new piece of legislation.
In 2009, Globe International in cooperation with OSF has managed to push the law initiators to revise the 2007 FOI law draft. The new Parliament formed in 2008 and the Parliament has established its Working group and Globe International leader is working as a consultant to it. Unfortunately, the process is delaying until now.
But we are keen to continue our efforts to make the government more open using the present legal possibilities.