GOVERNMENTS AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS OF THE AMERICAS URGE THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO CONSIDER THE INCLUSION OF A GOAL RELATED TO PEACEFUL AND INCLUSIVE SOCIETIES

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• As one of the results of the Open Government PartnershipThe Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a multi-stakeholder initiative focused on improving government transparency, ensuring opportunities for citizen participation in public matters, and strengthen... More (OGP) Regional Meeting for the Americas, held from November 17 to 19, 2014 in San Jose, Costa Rica,

• Representatives from Governments and Civil Society Organizations of the Americas, participating in OGP, agreed that the opening of discussions of the Post-2015 Development Agenda represent an invaluable opportunity to include provisions that strengthen 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 pub... More, accountability, rule of law and access to justiceAccessible justice systems – both formal and informal – ensure that individuals and communities with legal needs know where to go for help, obtain the help they need, and move through a system tha... More.

• The UN General Assembly is urged to include the targets related to Goal 16 of the Open Working Group for Sustainable Development GoalsOGP countries are experimenting with open government innovations to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 16+ which includes peaceful, just and inclusive societies... in its post-2015 agenda.

San Jose, Costa Rica, November 19, 2014.- The representatives of governments and civil society organizations (CSOs) of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in the Americas Region, make an open call to the United Nations General Assembly to consider the 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 of the targets related to transparency, accountability and access to justiceTo address barriers that prevent citizens from having their justice needs met, OGP participating governments are working to expand transparency, accountability, and inclusion into all systems of justi... in Goal 16 in the Post-2015 Development Agenda, namely: “Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, inclusive and accountable institutions at all levels”, in accordance with the results of the Open Working Group of the UN General Assembly.

For the Government and CSO representatives of the region, it is vital to ensure citizen access to timely, useful and robust information in order to monitor progress in the attainment of the Post-2015 goals.

We support Goal 16, including the targets related to OGP principles including transparency, accountability, integrity and citizen participationAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, citizen participation occurs when “governments seek to mobilize citizens to engage in public debate, provide input, and make contributions that lead to m... More, that will:
• Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels, and ensure equal access to justice for all;
• Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all its forms;
• Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislationCreating and passing legislation is one of the most effective ways of ensuring open government reforms have long-lasting effects on government practices. Technical specifications: Act of creating or r... and international agreements;
• Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels; and
• Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.

The OGP participating countries and civil society networks of the region declare our 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... to promote Goal 16 during this crucial year of negotiations, and request the support of the OGP participating countries in other regions. We believe that the principles and mechanisms of the OGP can be an important tool to promote national implementation of commitments to development in the future Post-2015 Development Agenda.

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