International Anti-Corruption Commitments

Title of the document

G8 Open Data Charter

Issuing body

G8 countries

Brief description

The Charter contains principles for open data, making it easier for citizens to access information

Relevant excerpts

Principle 1: Open Data by Default

11) We recognise that free access to, and subsequent re-use of, open data are of significant value to society and the economy.

15) We will establish an expectation that all government data be published openly by default, as outlined in this Charter, while recognising that there are legitimate reasons why some data cannot be released.

Principle 2: Quality and Quantity

18) We will release high-quality open data that are timely, comprehensive, and accurate. To the extent possible, data will be in their original, unmodified form and at the finest level of granularity available;ensure that information in the data is written in plain, clear language, so that it can be understood by all, though this Charter does not require translation into other languages;make sure that data are fully described, so that consumers have sufficient information to understand their strengths, weaknesses, analytical limitations, and security requirements, as well as how to process the data; and release data as early as possible, allow users to provide feedback, and then continue to make revisions to ensure the highest standards of open data quality are met.

Principle 3: Usable by All

22) We will:release data in open formats wherever possible, ensuring that the data are available to the widest range of users for the widest range of purposes; andrelease as much data as possible, and where it is not possible to offer free access at present, promote the benefits and encourage the allowance of free access to data. In many cases this will include providing data in multiple formats, so that they can be processed by computers and understood by people.

Principle 4: Releasing Data for Improved Governance

25) We will:share technical expertise and experience with each other and with other countries across the world so that everyone can reap the benefits of open data; andbe transparent about our own data collection, standards, and publishing processes, by documenting all of these related processes online.

Principle 5: Releasing Data for Innovation

27) We will:work to increase open data literacy and encourage people, such as developers of applications and civil society organisations that work in the field of open data promotion, to unlock the value of open data;empower a future generation of data innovators by providing data in machine-readable formats.