The Right to Access Information Commission (RAIC) on Thursday 6th November, 2025 engaged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on compliance with the Right to Access Information Act (RAI Act 2013) and the preparedness of the RAIC in hosting the 17th edition of the International Conference of
Information Commissioners in Freetown next year.
On compliance, Dr Ibrahim Seaga Shaw, the Chairman and Information Commissioner of the RAIC, referenced provisions in the RAI Law which oblige public authorities to do due diligence to and comply with proactive and reactive disclosure of information.
โFor reactive disclosure, public authorities should provide requesters with all information not exempted by law. We have developed and have been using the Annual Compliance Report (ACR) template to monitor and evaluate public authorities in relation to providing requested information and also having the enabling environment like having public information officers, records officers, ICT unit, records unit, among others. For proactive disclosure, the RAI Act provides for the disclosure of a minimum of 22 classes of information. To guide and realize compliance, we have the Proactive Disclosure of Information (PDI) template containing all the minimum classes of information that must be disclosed by public authorities either on their websites or other proactive disclosure publication platforms. We expect all public authorities to comply as such undertaking is not only mandatory, but it is also crucial for transparency, accountability and good governance in general,โ Dr Seaga Shaw explained.
The countryโs Information Commissioner informed the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Internation Cooperation that access to information is not only limited to individuals, noting that public authorities or institutions can also request for information from other public authorities; emphasizing the power of information in preventing or mitigating misinformation and fake news and also in promoting development.
Dr Seaga Shaw however mentioned exempt clauses that permit public authorities not to give out certain information bordering on privacy, national security, trade secret, diplomatic relations and certain cultural practices. He cautioned that public authorities should not abuse such provisions as the RAIC is empowered by law to make a determination on such decisions upon receiving complaints from requesters.
He cited the RAICโs [by extension Sierra Leoneโs] steady impressive performances in regional and global rankings on access to information, especially since he took over the leadership of RAIC in late 2018; referencing the UNESCO Survey on Public Access to Information and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) eligibility criteria one of which is a countryโs performance in access to information.
Informing the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on one of Sierra Leoneโs milestones in access to information, Dr Seaga Shaw said Sierra Leone will be hosting the International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC 2026) in Freetown next year at the Bintumani International Conference Center, noting that the Conference will bring together hundreds of delegate across the world, while emphasizing that this is the first time such conference is happening in West Africa and second time in the whole of Africa after South Africa hosted it in 2019.
Dr Shaw craved on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for its supports as the Conference will heighten the global profile or image of Sierra Leone on access to information and open governance.
In his remark, Alan Logan, the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation congratulated Dr Seaga Shaw and the RAIC on their many achievements in promoting access to information and also for winning the bid to host next yearโs edition of ICIC Conference in Sierra Leone.
DG Logan pledged his institutionโs technical and other supports to the forthcoming ICIC Conference.
โWe can help with professional translators and visa on arrival as the RAIC is a very important institution in the democracy and governance of Sierra Leone and such a Conference is key to our global image on governance. We will give our full cooperation,โ the Foreign Affairs Director-General assured.
He advised the leadership of the RAIC to make a formal request with specific things his Ministry can help with in making the said international conference a success.
He lauded the efforts of the RAIC Chairman for aptly and comprehensively explaining the processes in accessing information, the information exemptions, and the obligations of public authorities under the RAI Law.
For media enquiries, contact:
Amara Thoronka
Public Information and Communications Officer
RAIC โ National Secretariat
+232 88 283632 / +232 78 231949
