WILLEMSTAD – More than one-third of government information requests submitted as part of an international test received no substantive response, highlighting a worldwide gap between legal rights to public information and citizens’ ability to exercise those rights in practice.
The findings were highlighted by UNESCO in connection with the International Day for Universal Access to Information.
A test conducted by UNESCO and the Centre for Law and Democracy across 76 countries involved 146 identical information requests. In 38 percent of cases, no substantive response was received.
Only 42 percent of the requests resulted in all the requested information being provided. The average response time was 22 days.
According to UNESCO, 141 countries and territories had a legal guarantee of access to government information by 2025. However, the organization stresses that adopting legislation alone is insufficient. Governments must also ensure that the laws are implemented and that effective oversight exists.
The international findings have particular relevance for Curaçao, where questions are also being raised about the practical implementation of the Landsverordening openbaarheid van bestuur (LOB).
Fundashon Kòrsou Transparente requested information from the Curaçao government on July 23 about how the ordinance is being implemented, including statistics on requests, approvals, rejections and compliance with statutory deadlines. The organization says it had still received no response more than two months later.
Access to reliable information is also becoming increasingly important as the way citizens receive news and public information changes.
UNESCO and international media organizations have raised concerns about the rapid spread of manipulated and deliberately misleading information through social media and the additional challenges created by artificial intelligence.
Restrictions on access to information can take even more drastic forms. Access Now and the international #KeepItOn coalition recorded 313 internet shutdowns across 52 countries in 2025, the highest number since the organization began tracking such incidents.
The broader message from UNESCO is that freedom of information cannot be measured solely by whether a country has legislation guaranteeing it.
The real test is whether citizens asking legitimate questions can actually obtain the information to which the law says they are entitled.