This report is part of the UNESCO series ‘World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development’. The report goes into the right to access information held by public authorities, the heightened importance of which has been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Access to accurate and timely information helps people make safe choices, for themselves and their families, with governments having a corresponding obligation to disseminate widely public interest information and to address disinformation. Access to information also promotes accountability regarding the highly impactful decisions governments make during emergencies. At the same time, the pandemic has disrupted normal administrative procedures, including those relating to information, such as the processing of requests for information or ensuring that relevant information is still being recorded.