Malawi Action Plan Review 2026-2029

Malawi’s third national action planAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open government ... expands the country’s open government agenda and aligns with Malawi Vision 2063. It continues ambitious reforms on political party financing and 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 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, while introducing new commitments to strengthen 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... in extractive revenue management and climate action. Despite a pause in the OGP process during a period of political transition, Malawi’s OGP structures provide continuity for reignited reform efforts.

Malawi’s first four-year action plan follows a period of political transition after the 2025 presidential elections. The 11 commitments fall under five thematic areas of anti-corruption, natural resource governance, fiscal openness, digital governance, and climate and environment.^[1] These priorities were unanimously selected by government and civil society during co-creation^[2] and align with the Malawi 2063 vision,^[3] thereby reflecting national development objectives.

This review features three commitments identified for their ambition, strong focus on open government, and a high likelihood of implementation. They propose reforms aligned with the government agenda for economic growth and anti-corruption. Commitments 1 and 3 build on progress in the previous action plan, while Commitment 5 brings a new reform into Malawi’s OGP ecosystem. While other commitments, such as those on climate action and sovereign debt transparency, also address issues of national importance, a lack of information inhibited the IRM’s ability to provide in-depth analysis.^[4]

CommitmentOGP commitments are promises for reform co-created by governments and civil society and submitted as part of an action plan. Commitments typically include a description of the problem, concrete action... 1 aims to launch a public beneficial ownership register, a flagship reform in Malawi’s fight against corruption and illicit financial flows. Commitment 3 seeks to strengthen the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties and make political party finance information public, which promises to reinforce fair electionsImproving transparency in elections and maintaining the independence of electoral commissions is vital for promoting trust in the electoral system, preventing electoral fraud, and upholding the democr... More. Commitment 5 promises to introduce transparent and inclusive mining agreements so that host communities benefit from mining operations.

The action plan includes several reform areas key to Malawi’s economic agenda and fiscal security. This includes Commitment 6 to strengthen parliamentary oversight and transparency of domestic debt. Other commitments focus on the creation of a sovereign wealth fund, digital rights, access, and infrastructure as well as new areas of climate finance transparency and open parliament. The action plan raises the ambition in some continued reforms, such as political party finance transparency. Reformers took on board IRM recommendations^[5] and added milestones to strengthen continued commitments.^[6]

Leadership for OGP in Malawi underwent transition following the 2025 Presidential elections. The OGP Secretariat remains under the Office of the President and Cabinet, moved from the Department of Legal Services to the Good Governance Unit. Malawi’s National Steering Committee^[7] and five Technical Working Groups^[8] continue to manage the OGP process. Notably, this NAP continues the approach of government and civil society co-implementers for each commitment. However, it will take time for reform allies to establish trust and a sense of shared ownership. The Government of Malawi notes that the OGP Secretariat has funding and that several government departments and ministries included the OGP agenda in their work plans and budgets.^[9] However, equal civil society engagement in the OGP process has previously been inhibited by limited resources and clearly defined roles and framework for collaboration.

Co-creation of the third NAP brought in new government institutions and civil society organizations (CSOs), including the Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change (Environmental Affairs Department) and the Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry.^[10] Civil society stakeholders^[11] commended the expansion of CSOs engaged during co-creation and new organizations supporting implementation. These include previously underrepresented groups, such as youth organizations like Youth and Society as well as the Federation of Disability Organizations in Malawi, the Muslim community, and Catholic Charities for Justice and Peace.^[12]

The action plan was initially drafted in the first half of 2025, then revised and resubmitted to OGP in 2026 following the government transition. The IRM’s review of the co-creation process pertains to the initial 2025 process under the prior government. Civil society produced a review on the status of Malawi’s previous action plan as well as an outcomes document following a symposium in September 2024. These documents, collating input from 45 organizations, helped to inform the action plan draft.^[13]However, the final selection and drafting of commitments was a closely held process, handled by a government-hired consultant. A commitment on civic space requested by civil society was not ultimately included. Some CSOs were able to provide input at a final validation meeting. However, the draft action plan was not provided in advance, limiting participants’ ability to offer informed input.^[14]

Malawi did not meet the minimum requirements of the Participation and Co-Creation Standards due to the inaccessibility of the website during the period under review, absence of advanced notice to stakeholders on the co-creation process, and absence of a reasoned response to participants on how their input informed the action plan.^[15] During implementation, the Secretariat and the National 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... are encouraged to sustain monitoring and communication throughout implementation, including documenting and sharing progress on the Malawi OGP website, repositoryAccess to relevant information is essential for enabling participation and ensuring accountability throughout the OGP process. An OGP repository is an online centralized website, webpage, platform or ..., and among implementers.

Promising Commitments