responsibly. However very few are aware of this obligation or do so, and the MIC is not currently enforcing it. There was a presentation outlining the current state of open data and accountability. Some new technology interfaces were demonstrated which can help people to understand parliamentary processes such passing bills, and annual budget related information to bolster government transparency. It was also suggested that further technology use in areas such as facilitating the input of CSOs who are not able to directly discuss matters in parliament should be adopted. The absence of progress toward the establishment of a Right to Information (RTI) Law was raised. In this case, CSOs raised issues during the consultation period on the Law, including the clash between the right to access information and the Official Secrets Act, requesting that it must be possible to overrule restrictions on information through a freedom of information request. Furthermore, it was noted that discrepancies existed between the version agreed through a CSO preparatory process and the version that was submitted to Parliament by the Ministry of Information/Cabinet. Progress on obtaining a Right to Information Law should be pursued in 2019. Regarding general access to information it was highlighted that many obstacles still exist and there is a widespread lack of knowledge on how to obtain information which is available. It was also stressed that action should be taken if there is a failure by Ministries to meet their statutory obligations to provide certain information (e.g. submitted EIAs). The audience raised questions about the timeline for the zero-draft for the RTI, the definition of public information and how relevant news can be better conveyed for PWD such as in sign language. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION All participants were polled on the question ‘Has online freedom improved or worsened over the past year? ● 41% deteriorated ● 34% no change ● 25% improved Figure 7 Poll-Freedom of Expression in 2018, MDRF 2019 17