I must admit that it was hard for me to write this short speech. But that is not surprising; it has become increasingly hard for me to do my job and, in general, to inhabit this planet. Every day, I see outrageous and painful realities. But, what can I tell you that you don’t know already?

I see people and communities stripped of their land and territory, whose health and lives are compromised by the implementation of large-scale development projects that have no respect for their right to decide about their only possessions on behalf of “development”. I wonder, whose “development” or for whom, and especially what do we mean by “development”.

Scandals of corruption, of taxPlacing transparency, accountability, and participation at the center of tax policy can ensure that burdens are distributed equitably across society. Technical specifications: Commitments related to c... havens and fiscal privileges, of conflicts of interestA key part of anti-corruption involves preventing or revealing conflicts of interest — when a public official is in a position to use public office for personal or private gain. Technical specificat..., all involving senior officials within the political establishment, who, evidently in agreement with the economic elites, benefit and leverage private gains from public goods.

Dads and moms who have been suffering for years because they do not know the whereabouts of their sons and daughters because they have a “disappeared person” status, or people who have been tortured by the authorities in order to confirm some investigative theory.

Journalists 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 that are trying to carry out their work in very difficult conditions. For many of them, their committed work is repaid with harassment, repression and, in some cases, death.

In addition, I have seen absurd and ignorant proposals such as the construction of walls that seek to separate rather than unite us. And I have to live with an alternate reality where Statesman Awards are granted to someone with an approval rating of approximately 20% among the people he governs, such as the Mexican President.

It is in such a complicated context that OGP was born 5 years ago. I personally decided that a project of dialogue and interaction between civil society, the private sectorGovernments are working to open private sector practices as well — including through beneficial ownership transparency, open contracting, and regulating environmental standards. Technical specificat... More, and the government could become a powerful platform for significant progress in 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, 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, and the fight against corruption; always having the human rights as the ultimate goal: the right to health, educationAccountability within the public education system is key to improving outcomes and attainment, and accountability is nearly impossible without transparent policies and opportunities for participation ..., peace, and a decent life.

But I want to be frank with you: 5 years after embarking on this road, my assessment is bittersweet. On the one hand, I have to acknowledge that today we have a stronger international community of institutions and people interested in taking these issues forward, and OGP has undoubtedly played a key role in achieving this.

This interaction has been instructive for all of us; we have put a stop to prejudice, we have developed joint projects, we have learned from the experience of countries that had never crossed our minds. Thanks to OGP, people and institutions committed to these causes have been recognized, and their work and talent has been appreciated. And, certainly, there has been some significant and concrete achievements.

However, I believe that the huge investment we made has not paid off as it should have. In some cases, OGP has become a process of “apparent openness” rather than a platform for effective co-creation. Very often, when defining action plans, middle-level officials are the ones who make commitments. And, afterwards, they lack the power to persuade their superiors or to compel other agencies to commit, much less to comply with the commitments undertaken.

Taking OGP seriously means opening a substantial and honest dialogue with civil society and taking on commitments at the highest level, which involve shifting bureaucratic institutions, investing material and economic resources, and, in many cases, promoting far-reaching changes. For some, open government still means opening public information databases or using information technologies when governing. They have not realized that it is about changing our current paradigm, since this has not yielded results.

OGP is about leveraging public intelligence located in different sectors of society in order to move forward in solving public issues that are becoming increasingly difficult to resolve.

It is about transitioning electoral democracies to participatory and deliberative democracies, where citizens are at the heart of government action and, therefore, can play a substantial part in the decisions affecting them. Ultimately, it is about democratizing information and decision-making forums, that is to say, democratizing power. Are you willing?  

Until there is a genuine belief among heads of government, OGP will remain a very good idea, a very interesting and commendable initiative. Certainly one where many people from the social sector, private and public, work enthusiastically, but nevertheless a mediocre effort in the face of the huge challenges that we face as an international society.

Five years after launching this project, and with a deep knowledge of it, I am convinced that we have a platform with the potential to make a significant contribution to the objectives that we want to achieve in the 2030 development agenda.

It is up to you whether we get the most out of it or we keep leaving it in the background in order to advance minor and insignificant issues. I personally encourage you to make the 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 take it seriously and leverage its potential. Citizens need to restore their confidence in and the credibility of their governments and this is a unique opportunity to begin to do so. You decide whether to seize it or let it go.