- I congratulate the Zanzibar Legal Services Centre for having opened a new office in Pemba. I am pleased that the people of Pemba now have the opportunity to use the services of the centre which supports debate on democracy and protection of human rights, states Ambassador Staffan Herrström on a visit to Zanzibar Legal Services Centre in Pemba, which is supported by Sweden.
Ambassador Herrström also underlined the importance of including Pemba as well as rural areas in Tanzania in general in the public debate in order to follow the results of development. Herrström specifically emphasised the importance of freedom of expression and the right to information.
- Right to information can be called the oxygen of democracy. Without information citizens do not have the possibility to make informed decisions on how to participate in decision-making processes such as voting, following the budgeting process or implementation of projects. The right to information is also necessary for accountability and good governance. The right to information is a key feature of the Swedish society. Sweden's Freedom of the Press Act of 1766 is thought to be the oldest such law. Currently some 70 countries around the world have some type of Right to Information legislation.
- I know that there is a process underway to change legislation in Tanzania to strengthen the Right to Information, which I think is an encouraging and important step in the process of further developing democracy and good governance, states Staffan Herrström, Ambassador of Sweden, on a visit to Zanzibar Legal Services Centre in Pemba.
Contact details: Ambassador Staffan Herrström (0754 000 214).