Transparency

Transparency as a concept is closely related to advocacy and the Rights-Based Approach. For the people to exercise their right to participate in the development process, they should trace down the decision-making processes of the public policies that affect their lives. Transparency is an essential means of holding public officials accountable.

The public must have the means to exercise adequate oversight over the process of making laws, policies, decisions, budgets, etc. Having tools such as free and independent media, effective laws guaranteeing the right to information, and other formal and informal channels for holding the decision-makers accountable, provide a healthy environment for making and applying the right policies

Transparency does not exist as a purely one way of communication. It requires the participation of those who might disagree with decisions and want to change the course of these decisions. Democracy builds on the participation and actions of those who see things differently to develop for the better ^[1]Transparency (humanities). (2007, January 23). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:56, February 02, 2007, from … Continue reading

Especially with the current state of the world’s security, transparency does not necessarily mean that governments must make ALL decisions and the rationale behind them public. Understandably, some decisions are sensitive ones and need to stay classified. It should, however, create a system to make the process and rationale of making decisions visible to other parties that the public trusts to see and judge the legitimacy of such decisions.