National Information Openness Day in Indonesia Date in the current year: April 30, 2024

The concept of openness is associated with transparency and collaboration. It can refer to a number of things depending on the context, such as the accessibility of knowledge, technology and other resources; the inclusiveness of participation; the permeability of organizational structures; and the transparency of action.

In regards to government, openness means that citizens have the right to access government documents and proceedings, which allows for effective public oversight. The doctrine of open government takes the idea of freedom of information and applies it to information held by government authorities, stating that the right of citizens to see the activities and operation of government at work supports accountability.

The roots of the idea of open government can be dated to the Age of Enlightenment in Europe (the 17th and the 18th centuries), when philosophers debated the proper set up of a democracy, back then a nascent concept, and even further back to Ancient Greece. However, the term “open government” didn’t emerge until after World War II. It was introduced by Wallace Parks in 1957. Following the passing of the Freedom of Information Act in 1966, open government became a synonym for government transparency, first in the United States and then in other countries.

Today, open government is typically associated with the concept of democratic reform. Its main aspects include government transparency (openness of public information), accountability, and citizen participation. Government transparency, in turn, has three main aspects:

• Public must has access to budgetary information.
• There must be an effective way of lawmaking and law enforcement.
• NGOs and independent media must be at center for public use.

For transparency to work, public information must be accessible, visible, high-quality, and disclosed in a timely manner.

In Indonesia, the openness of public information is governed by the Public Information Openness Act of 2008. The law outlines the rights and obligation of public information requesters, users and public bodies; public information that shall be available and published promptly or periodically; the procedure for obtaining public information; the functions, position, composition, duty, authority, responsibilities, secretariat and management, appointment and dismissal of Information Commission; objection and dispute settlement through Information Commission; and other provisions regarding public information openness.

In 2015, Indonesian government established National Information Openness Day to commemorate the Public Information Openness Act of 2008 and highlight the important of the openness of public information. It is marked by seminars, webinars, round table discussions, conferences, and other events focusing on public information openness.