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Sanjay Pradhan: A Legacy of Open Government
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As Sanjay Pradhan prepares to step down as OGP CEO after nine years of transformative leadership, he joined Rakesh Rajani, President of Just Systems and former OGP Co-Chair, for a fireside chat to reflect on the challenges confronting democracies, implications of the US elections and future of open government.
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Brazil’s Open Government Journey
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OGP’s Independent Reporting Mechanism published a comprehensive report on Brazil’s efforts to promote open government, looking back on over a decade of Brazil’s participation in OGP. Since joining in 2011 as one of OGP’s founding members, Brazil has worked with civil society organizations and other stakeholders to develop six national action plans, committing to 130 reforms aimed at improving governance and public services.
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Save the Date!
The 2025 OGP Global Summit will take place October 7–9, 2025. This landmark event will bring together global leaders to advance open government principles and renew democracy. We look forward to seeing you in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain to create more transparent, participatory, and accountable governments around the world!
Learn more here.
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Thank you to all who attended America Abierta 2024!
With 1,182 participants, 25 delegations from OGP Local, and over 100 sessions, government and civil society in the Americas came together to share ideas, explore innovations, and strengthen our collective commitment to democracy, transparency, and citizen participation.
Read more about the event outcomes here.
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Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting
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Next year, we are excited to see you in Manila, Philippines, from February 5–7, 2025, for the OGP Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting, where government representatives, civil society leaders, and policymakers will convene to advance open government initiatives across the region.
The agenda will feature a mix of high level and ministerial sessions, interactive breakout sessions, and networking opportunities. A draft will be published on the Regional Meeting website later this week.
Applications for side events are now open. Submit yours by January 10, 2025.
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Africa and the Middle East Regional Meeting
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2025 Africa and the Middle East Regional Meeting
The Government of Kenya will host the 2025 OGP Africa and the Middle East Regional Meeting in Nairobi from March 25-27, 2025. Attendee registration will be limited to invited participants.
Please contact kenya2025@opengovpartnership.org with any questions.
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Daniela Chacón-Mendoza, Vice President of ACCESA and Researcher, Center for Research and Political Studies (CIEP), Costa Rica
For the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Daniela Chacón-Mendoza, Vice President of ACCESA and a researcher at the Center for Research and Political Studies (CIEP) in Costa Rica discussed the critical role digital platforms play in combating gender-based violence in politics.
Read it here.
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Agila Barzdienė, Chancellor, Office of the President of Lithuania, and Rugilė Trumpytė, Chief Executive, Lithuanian Diversity Charter
For the International Day for People with Disabilities, Agila Barzdienė, Chancellor at the Office of the President of Lithuania, and Rugilė Trumpytė, Chief Executive of the Lithuanian Diversity Charter shared how socially responsible public procurement is driving inclusion and improving accessibility for people with disabilities in Lithuania.
Read more.
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The Open Gov Challenge tracker is now live!
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OGP has launched the Challenge Tracker, a new tool to explore commitments under the Open Gov Challenge. Search by policy area, region, or government level to track progress on priorities like anti-corruption, civic space, and digital governance, and discover impactful reforms happening worldwide.
Explore the tracker here.
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Co-Chairing the Open Government Partnership—What is it Like, Really?
By Blair Glencorse, OGP Co-Chair
Blair Glencorse shares his journey as OGP Civil Society Co-Chair, a role filled with progress, challenges, and invaluable lessons. From building connections with activists and young leaders to advancing ambitious reforms like the Open Gov Challenge, dive into his reflections on the hard work, political complexities, and opportunities for innovation within OGP.
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The Next Orbital: Low Earth Satellites and AI are Changing the Fight against Corruption
By Joseph Foti, OGP and Dieter Zinnbauer, Copenhagen Business School
AI-powered LEO satellites are revolutionizing environmental monitoring and anti-corruption efforts with precise, real-time data. However, without strong safeguards, these tools risk misuse for surveillance and repression. Discover how we can strike a balance between innovation and ethical oversight to leverage their potential responsibly.
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Reforms to watch
- 🇰🇪 Kenya: Promising commitments include an inclusive digital transformation and protection of Kenyans’ rights in the context of artificial intelligence.
- 🇱🇻 Latvia: During its midterm refresh, Latvia added new milestones to existing commitments, including developing a new open data strategy for 2025–2027.
- 🇳🇴 Norway: Norway’s most promising commitment aims to improve the availability and quality of public procurement data.
- 🇸🇳 Senegal: Promising reforms include passing an Access to Information Law and strengthening the anti-corruption legal framework.
- 🇵🇭 Philippines: A standout commitment is the launch of a digital portal with real-time information on large government infrastructure projects, alongside a public feedback mechanism to enable citizen monitoring and oversight.
- 🇮🇪 Ireland: A promising commitment is to introduce legislation that will modernize ethics and standards in public life, improving accountability and transparency, especially regarding conflicts of interest among public officials.
- 🇽🇰 Kosovo: Key commitments focus on opening public procurement data and creating an online platform to publish data on political party finances.
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Recap OGP Local’s growth and impact in 2024!
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🌐 OGP Local
OGP Local had an incredible year! Fifty-five new members joined, and 24 members co-created open government action plans with citizens. Inclusion, climate action, and innovation surfaced as high priorities and we strengthened the global open government ecosystem by fostering regional networks and local exchange.
Watch the wrap-up video.
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At America Abierta, 26 governors, mayors, and civil society leaders shared their efforts and vision to build an open, just, and sustainable future in their communities.
Explore key highlights from OGP Local at the event.
🌏 Local roundup
- Check out the latest OGP action plans from Aragon and Madrid (Spain), Austin (United States), Kakamega (Kenya), Dar Chabaane el Fehri (Tunisia), Pichincha (Ecuador), Goiás (Brazil), Yogyakarta (Indonesia), Zagreb (Croatia), Gjakova (Kosovo), Pristina (Kosovo), Bar (Montenegro), and Lisbon (Portugal).
- On Anti-Corruption Day, members of the Africa-MENA Network of Open Local Governments came together in the first of a series of knowledge-sharing webinars to explore how Kaduna State in Nigeria is transforming service delivery through infrastructure transparency initiatives.
- Ahead of America Abierta, we showcased our members’ initiatives from the Americas: participatory democracy in São Paulo (Brazil), sustainable and green future in Peñalolén (Chile) and in Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas (Ecuador), and public space for youth in Maipú (Chile).
- Khmelnytskyi hosted the Good Governance Forum to share ideas on youth engagement, e-services, and open governance, showcasing creativity for impactful local action together with other OGP Local members from Kyiv, Zviahel, Orzhytsia, Vinnytsia, and Ternopil in Ukraine.
- What’s new? Sekondi-Takoradi (Ghana) launched a new e-government platform, Peñalolén (Chile) worked with students to develop a monitoring tool to track the progress of commitments of its OGP action plans, Nuevo León (Mexico) created a Manual of Participatory Strategies and Kaduna has been pushing for the Freedom of Information Act to strengthen transparency and digital resilience.
For the full December OGP Local Roundup, visit our website.
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News & Events
- Open Ownership is transitioning from a steering group to an International Advisory Board as part of its new strategy process. Learn more.
- The International Land Coalition is addressing corruption in land governance across Africa. Read their blog on the need for transparent and accountable systems to achieve land justice on the continent.
- Explore the role of open contracting in providing reliable and sustainable water and sanitation services and how transparency in procurement processes can enhance service delivery in the water sector in Open Contracting’s latest blog.
- Accurate beneficial ownership information is vital for governments to implement wealth taxes effectively and tackle tax evasion. Read more in Open Ownership’s latest blog.
Opportunities
- OGP is seeking a Senior Regional Coordinator for Europe to support open government reforms, regional collaboration, and transparency initiatives in the region—apply now!
- Submit your application to Open Ownership’s International Advisory Board by January 19, 2025, to support the organization’s new strategy and global impact.
- Learn more about the World Bank’s Government Analytics Fellowship, which offers open government professionals an opportunity to contribute to data-driven governance initiatives.
- CIVICUS is offering a Research Intern position focused on conducting desk research and producing content related to civil society trends. Apply here.
Resources
- Explore the Atlantic Council’s report on the importance of investing in democracy advocates, even in authoritarian countries, to promote democratic values and human rights.
- Check out OECD’s report, “Practical Guide for Policymakers on Protecting and Promoting Civic Space”, which explores strategies to support civil society and ensure inclusive governance.
- In two new OGP blogs, explore the nuances of how grand corruption is eroding accountability and development, and why we must aim to make decision-making more inclusive.
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