Open Government that Delivers: OGP Co-Chair Agenda 2026-2027

UK AND LAURA NEUMAN CO-CHAIR AGENDA STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

The United Kingdom was one of the Open Government Partnership’s (OGP) eight founding members in 2011. Fifteen years later, open government matters more than ever. We are in a time of declining trust, shrinking civic space, contested information ecosystems, and persistent corruption. The public is demanding more from their governments: increased transparencyAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, transparency occurs when “government-held information (including on activities and decisions) is open, comprehensive, timely, freely available to the public,... More in how decisions are taken and resources are spent, stronger accountability for the institutions that shape their lives, greater voice in public decisions, and tangible outcomes that improve their societies.

Open government is the foundation of resilient and prosperous democracies. It’s how governments work with and for people, and how partnerships between governments, civil society and citizens deliver outcomes no single actor can provide alone. This co-chair agenda will harness open government to build democratic resilience, deliver shared prosperity, and make government work better for people. Working across local, devolved, national and international levels, we will drive progress on action to protect civic space, strengthen genuine participation and information integrity, tackle corruption and illicit finance, and renew OGP as a stronger, more member-led Partnership—using its unique multi-stakeholder model, action plans and peer networks to turn commitments into practical and profound reforms.

As co-chairsThe Steering Committee is led by a pair of lead co-chairs, one from government and one from civil society, who are part of a leadership troika comprising the current (lead), incoming, and outgoing co-... More of the Partnership, together with our peers on the Steering CommitteeThe Steering Committee is OGP’s executive decision-making body. Its role is to develop, promote and safeguard OGP’s values, principles and interests; establish OGP’s core ideas, policies, and rules; a... and in close cooperation with the Support UnitThe OGP Support Unit is a small, permanent group of staff that work closely with the Steering Committee and the Independent Reporting Mechanism to advance the goals of the Open Government Partnership...., we will use our chair year to shift the dial: from declarations to actions, from commitments to tangible outcomes, and from political headlines to lasting impact at scale. It is our hope that these actions – working in concert – will serve to rebuild trust in government and make democracy more meaningful for all.

We will look to deliver this co-chair vision through the following priorities and actions.

Strengthen Civil Society and Civic Space

To create an enabling environment in which civil society organisations, people, and communities can organise, speak out and contribute to public life.

We will work with OGP partners to:

1. Promote and protect an enabling environment in which civil society and human rightsAn essential part of open government includes protecting the sacred freedoms and rights of all citizens, including the most vulnerable groups, and holding those who violate human rights accountable. T... defenders have safe legal space to exercise rights to expression, assembly, and association.
2. Drive collective ambition and implementation through the new OGP Civic Space Lab and its Civic Space Leaders Group and Reformers Programme.
3. Ensure civil society can organise and operate effectively across borders on open government, including leveraging learning from the UK Tri-Sector Working Group on NGOs in high-risk jurisdictions.
4. Showcase and share UK learning from implementing the Civil Society Covenant.

Deepen inclusive and pluralistic public participation

To rebuild trust and enable citizens, communities and civic actors to shape the decisions and services that affect them.

We will work with OGP partners to:

1. Drive action to strengthen and scale public participationGiving citizens opportunities to provide input into government decision-making leads to more effective governance, improved public service delivery, and more equitable outcomes. Technical specificatio... through the OGP Participation Action Group, including by building the evidence base, guidance and sharing good practice amongst members.
2. Drive collective progress on inclusive, locally led and place-based engagement and decision-making by implementing OECD-DAC principles on Locally Led Development and encouraging approaches that shift power and decision-making closer to communities.
3. Share and scale learning and good practice from central, regional and local government through the UK Participatory Methods Forum, including methods and approaches for involving communities and citizens in policymaking.
4. Advocate for strong member action to tackle technology facilitated gender-based violenceReforms that combat gender-based violence are essential for fostering an inclusive society and government that respects human rights and promotes gender equality. Technical specifications: Commitments... More, and implement protective measures to maintain women’s participation in public and political life.

Advance information integrity

To enable healthy information ecosystems where civic space can thrive, people have timely access to reliable information, freedom and safety to express their views, and inclusive digital spaces where they can participate meaningfully in democratic processes and hold power to account.

We will work with OGP partners to:

1. Turn political commitments on digital governanceAs evolving technologies present new opportunities for governments and citizens to advance openness and accountability, OGP participating governments are working to create policies that deal with the ... More and innovations into practical reforms that harness technology and AI for openness, accountability, and participation, including for women, youthRecognizing that investing in youth means investing in a better future, OGP participating governments are creating meaningful opportunities for youth to participate in government processes. Technical ... More and marginalised populations.
2. Promote improved access to information at both the national and local level, including for women, youth and marginalised populations, by:

a. Supporting the uptake of proactive disclosure good practice principles agreed through the OGP-OECD Proactive Disclosure Coalition as an effective means of reaching people with essential information, building trust, and combatting mis- and disinformation.

b. Sharing good practice with national and local governments on effective and innovative ways to reach people with information that enables them to exercise their rights, access public services, and have a voice in government decision-making.

Tackle corruption and illicit finance

To enable growth and protect the integrity of our democracies.

We will work with OGP partners to:

1. Operationalise the UK Illicit Finance Summit outcomes and commitments through the OGP platform, including the implementation of commitments around beneficial ownershipDisclosing beneficial owners — those who ultimately control or profit from a business — is essential for combating corruption, stemming illicit financial flows, and fighting tax evasion. Technical spe... More transparency, information sharing and professional oversight.
2. Promote civil society inclusionOGP participating governments are working to create governments that truly serve all people. Commitments in this area may address persons with disabilities, women and girls, lesbian, gay, bisexual, tr... More and engagement in international activity to tackle anti-corruption, delivering on UK Anti-Corruption Strategy commitments, including the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and other relevant multilateral processes.
3. Promote dialogue and learning on the effective implementation of measures to combat illicit finance and corruption, including action to mitigate the unintended consequences for legitimate civil society activity and address the misuse of counter illicit finance measures to justify restrictions on civic space.

Renew the Partnership

As OGP marks its 15th anniversary, we will lead the partnership through this period of transformation and renewal to meet the challenges of 2026 and beyond by:

1. Moving to a more member-driven OGP through greater Steering Committee leadership; regional champions and coalitions; and thematic action groups led by members.
2. Driving implementation of the flexible Action Framework for effective delivery of commitments on open government.
3. Supporting greater involvement of Foreign Ministries, to build stronger connections between domestic open government reforms and international commitments.
4. Driving OGP membership to grow and strengthen the Partnership.