OGP in the News – Week of January 15, 2018

A weekly round-up of Open Government Partnership (OGP) media coverage around the world. Want to receive OGP in the News directly in your email inbox? Subscribe here.

Uniting conversations about vulnerable populations in Mongolia, Colombia’s national police force, the 2030 Agenda in Germany, and more, this week’s OGP media coverage swept the globe.

OGP’s partner series with GovInsider (started in the run-up to the Asia Pacific Leaders’ Forum on Open Government) continued, showcasing a government success story out of Mongolia. With a population spread across its vast and geographically diverse landscape, the Mongolian government has been working to tackle the challenge of providing quality public services to all segments of its society. That is why the Government of Mongolia, in partnership with civil society, the World Bank, and the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation, launched the Mainstreaming Social Accountability project. Aimed at helping Mongolia’s vulnerable populations have a greater say in policymaking, the project was piloted in ten villages and has already produced promising results. One village developed a new bidding process for healthcare services, while another incorporated 7,000 temporary residents (previously unregistered) into its healthcare system. A testament to the open government principle of citizen participation, “these are just a few small examples of how together governments, civil society, and citizens can produce better and more equitable development outcomes when they work together.”   

In Colombia, three acclaimed major-generals of the national police force are stepping down, reported Semana.com and HSB Noticias. One of the three departing generals, Major General Carlos Mena, made great strides in eradicating corruption and setting a precedent of transparency within the country’s police force. Aside from heading the General Inspection and championing the Comprehensive Police Transparency Policy, he encouraged the institution’s participation in OGP, making it the first in Colombia’s defense sector to take part in the OGP process. The Police’s General Inspection will now be led by Major General José Vicente Segura.

An article published on Germany’s government website highlighted the link between anti-corruption and Goal 16 – towards peace, justice, and strong institutions – of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The government has developed the German Sustainability Strategy, to help implement the 2030 agenda. For Goal 16, the strategy identifies three focus areas, including crime, peace and security, and good governance. Zooming in on this last focus area, the article summarized steps the government has already taken to combat corruption. It underscored Germany’s participation in OGP and the country’s first OGP action plan, which includes “commitments to promote ‘open data’ (disclosure of records of the administration) and improved transparency in development cooperation.”          

The Center for American Progress Task Force on U.S.-India Relations released a new report with recommendations to “achieve a shared vision of the future” between the world’s two largest democracies. Emphasizing the need to “ramp up a growing strategic partnership” between the U.S. and India, the report identified opportunities for cooperation in five key areas, covering everything from economics and sustainability to cultural exchange. One section outlined recommendations to strengthen democratic institutions both “at home and around the world.” The task force encouraged India to join OGP, noting that the organization’s multilateral framework would allow both countries to share “knowledge with other democracies and governments in transition that want support.”

Last but not least, how many countries are currently involved in OGP? With Portugal joining last week, the number now stands at 75!   

Of course, we can’t catch everything in our news round-ups, so if you see we’ve missed something or think a particular story ought to be featured, please send it to jacqueline.mcgraw@opengovpartnership.org.