NSW Information Commissioner welcomes you to Right to Know Week NSW 2022
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00:00 Hi, I'm Elizabeth Tidd, the New South Wales Information Commissioner.
00:04 The 28th of September marks International Access to Information Day,
00:09 which recognises citizens' rights around the world to access government information.
00:14 This right is encapsulated under Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
00:22 In New South Wales we celebrate Right to Know Week to raise awareness to the public
00:26 about their rights to access government information
00:29 and enhance agency understanding of their obligations under New South Wales Information Access Legislation
00:36 or the Government Information Public Access Act, known as the GIPA Act.
00:42 In 2022, the theme for Right to Know Week is Artificial Intelligence, e-governance and access to information,
00:49 next steps in New South Wales digital government.
00:53 Government service delivery in New South Wales is increasingly digital
00:57 and more information is being collected, stored and applied using digital technology.
01:03 These services allow citizens to have more convenient transactions with government,
01:07 are changing the way government handles information
01:10 and should make it easier for citizens to access government information.
01:16 As governments provide more digital solutions to citizens,
01:20 including the use of artificial intelligence in decision-making,
01:23 they must also preserve and promote public interest, accountability, transparency and the right to access information.
01:32 New South Wales has embraced a digital transformation into e-government
01:36 and that transformation must be accompanied by e-governance
01:40 to ensure government remains accountable and transparent.
01:45 E-governance is the digital realisation of an open, accountable, participative democracy.
01:52 There are a range of activities on for this year's Right to Know Week,
01:56 including my visit to Uzbekistan, where I'll be speaking at the UNESCO's Global Conference on Universal Access to Information.
02:04 At the panel event, myself and other international information commissioners and experts
02:08 will be discussing the role of e-governance and artificial intelligence
02:12 and how to turn them into allies for promoting inclusive approaches for access to information.
02:19 More information about this event and others at the conference is available on the UNESCO website
02:25 and IPC's Right to Know Week webpage.
02:29 The Office of the Information Commissioner Queensland will also be hosting their annual Solomon Lecture this year on 28 September,
02:37 featuring Ian Hamm, Chair of the Stolen Generations Reference Group at the Healing Foundation.
02:44 This presentation will be on the importance of truth through Aboriginal eyes.
02:49 More information about this event and a link to the live stream is available on the OIIC Queensland and Right to Know Week webpages.
02:59 I will also be announcing the information access and data sharing results from the IPC's Community Attitude Survey,
03:06 which is conducted every two years.
03:08 The study provides a broad insight into citizens' views and experiences of the right to access information
03:14 and views on data sharing.
03:17 To support this year's Right to Know Week theme, the IPC has developed a range of material for agencies and citizens
03:24 to better understand information access laws in NSW and the next steps to transforming e-government to e-governance.
03:33 We are raising awareness of the potential technology offered to support democracy
03:38 through proactively releasing information that is in the public interest, such as grants and other funding decisions.
03:45 We're also highlighting the way technology can be used by government to engage with citizens
03:50 and ensure that they have opportunities to shape important decisions.
03:55 For citizens, we have an animation on e-governance and digital government
04:00 and different guidance on citizens' rights under the GIPRA Act.
04:04 These tools are designed to raise citizens' awareness of their right to know
04:08 and to champion the use of technology to achieve a more participative democracy.
04:14 For agencies, the IPC's information governance self-assessment tools will enable agencies to measure
04:20 the maturity of their information governance systems and implement plans to further develop those systems
04:26 and confidently meet their information access requirements.
04:31 We've also updated several other agency guidance materials which can be found on the Right to Know Week webpage.
04:38 Thank you also to our agency champions for supporting the Right to Know Week campaign
04:43 and spreading the message about the importance of access to government information.
04:48 I'd like to take this opportunity to encourage you all to get involved in Right to Know Week.
04:54 It's essential that we mature e-government to realise e-governance
04:59 and deliver a more accountable, representative, democratic government in New South Wales.
05:05 [Music]