This book argues that for the right to information to be meaningful it must extend beyond nation-state governments to transnational corporations and multilateral organisations such as the World Bank. The book states that the right to access information is not only an important civil and political right, it is also a socio-economic right, enabling the full realisation of other socio-economic rights such as the right to welfare, housing or education.

This publication explores the right to access information. The focus is on the South African law - said to be the "strongest access to information law in the world". There is also an international perspective with contributions from India, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom and the United States.