A/HRC/44/49/Add.1 Peoples’ Rights has enunciated the importance of information through its adoption of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa: “Public bodies hold information not for themselves but as custodians of the public good and everyone has a right to access this information, subject only to clearly defined rules established by law.” Under article 29 of the Constitution of Ethiopia, the State must provide individuals with the opportunity to have access to information of public interest. Similarly, the Proclamation on Freedom of the Mass Media and Access to Information ensures the establishment of “mechanisms and procedures to give effect to that right in a manner which enables persons to obtain information as quickly, inexpensively and effortlessly as is reasonably possible”. Notwithstanding the important role of the Ombudsman in providing information to the public, it appears that the Government could do more to inform the public and to support the exercise of this basic right. 44. The practical benefits of access to information are to strengthen society as a whole. Democracies cannot function effectively if journalists – and consequently the general population – are kept unaware of key decision-making; the public must remain the ultimate regulator of good governance and accountability. The exposure of prison management in Ethiopia exemplifies the immense power of an informed public. Torture was systematically employed by a number of Ethiopian prison officials over the past couple of decades, yet very few members of the public were aware of the mass atrocities being committed. 16 In 2011, the Committee against Torture expressed deep concern about “numerous, ongoing and consistent allegations concerning the routine use of torture by the police, prison officers and other members of the security forces, as well as the military, in particular against political dissidents and opposition party members, students …”17 Only after the release and confirmation of this information did the public engage in open debate. Consequently, the Ethiopian prison system entered into deep reform, and numerous perpetrators were able to be convicted. Furthermore, activities such as corruption can better be exposed by having public information be not only available but expected. 45. With these repercussions in mind, the Special Rapporteur urges the Government to implement and streamline methods for delivering all public information. Officials must be aware of what information the public is entitled to and of the requirement that this information be easily accessible. The Special Rapporteur would like to draw special attention to this issue in connection with the next elections. He recalls that under article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “the will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government”, but without an informed electorate, an election can never be declared democratic or fair. 46. Lastly, the international community should actively support efforts made to achieve journalistic independence and freedom of expression, and, where appropriate, with political and financial contributions. While the Government has been bold in its reform initiatives, and the energetic re-emergence of the media has been nothing short of excellent, Ethiopia could benefit greatly from international support directed at the advancement and expansion of the entire profession. Many of the hurdles that Ethiopia faces stem from a lack of capacity; from technical operations to general media literacy, targeted educational measures could cement the foundations of an entire country’s media sector. D. National technological innovations and the Internet 47. The Special Rapporteur met with the Minister of Innovation and Technology to discuss his Ministry’s plans for promoting and protecting freedom of expression. Given that a previous criticism of the executive was the appointment of officials based primarily on their government connections as opposed to their objective qualifications, the Special 16 17 See, for example, communications sent by the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and other special procedures, concerning allegations of torture against individuals during interrogation or in detention, at https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TM ResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=14917, https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/ TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=19001 and https://spcomm reports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=14939. CAT/C/ETH/CO/1, para. 10. 13