International Day for Universal Access to Information: Advancing
environmental transparency in the digital age
Each year on 28 September, we mark the International Day for Universal
Access to Information
[https://www.unesco.org/en/days/universal-access-information], a
global observance led by UNESCO
[https://www.unesco.org/en/days/universal-access-information] to
promote the fundamental right of access to information. In 2025, the
day marks a special milestone: the 10th anniversary of its designation
by UNESCO
[https://www.unesco.org/en/days/universal-access-information],
reflecting a decade of progress and challenges in ensuring access to
information worldwide.  

This year’s theme, “Ensuring Access to Environmental Information
in the Digital Age”, highlights the urgent need for timely,
comprehensive, and cross-border access to environmental data. From
climate change and biodiversity loss to pollution and disaster risks,
environmental challenges transcend national boundaries. Addressing
them requires collaborative, transparent, and innovative sharing of
information, powered by digital technologies and open data
platforms.  

Access to information is a cornerstone of inclusive governance,
sustainable development, and human rights. In Europe, this principle
is embedded in legislation such as the Open Data Directive
[https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/1024/oj/eng], which ensures
that public sector information is freely available for reuse.
Platforms like the European Data Portal [https://data.europa.eu/en]
play a key role in making this vision a reality, offering access to
thousands of datasets from across the EU and beyond. 

Open data empowers citizens, journalists, researchers, and civil
society organisations to hold institutions accountable, make informed
decisions, and develop innovative solutions. From climate action to
public health, data-driven insights are essential for tackling
today’s complex challenges, and portals such as the European Data
Portal [https://data.europa.eu/en] are helping make this information
more accessible than ever. 

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[https://twitter.com/EU_opendata] and LinkedIn
[https://www.linkedin.com/company/publications-office-of-the-european-union/],
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You can also connect with other users through our collaboration
channel
[https://data.europa.eu/dashboard/en/community/collaboration-channel]. 

Publication Date/Time
2025-09-28T08:00:00+00:00
Celebrating 10 years of progress in the right to information and the
power of open data for sustainable development