Action plan – Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2025 – 2027

At-a-Glance

Duration

Dec 2027

Date Submitted

20th May 2025

Foreword(s)

For over a decade, the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires has maintained a strong 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 the principles of Open Government and has consolidated a State policy around its core pillars. Since 2016, the City has been a member 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), and up to 2024, it has implemented three Action Plans with co-created commitments addressing priority issues for the City and of relevanceAccording to the OGP Articles of Governance, OGP commitments should include a clear open government lens. Specifically, they should advance at least one of the OGP values: transparency, citizen partic... to its citizens.

In 2024, the Mayor of the City of Buenos Aires, Jorge Macri, renewed the City’s participation in the OGP Local Program for the 2024–2027 cycle, with the support of the Multi-Stakeholder Forum—known locally as the Open Government Roundtable—thus reaffirming the City’s commitment to this agenda.

That same year, the General Direction for Access to Information and Open Government assumed formal responsibility for the City’s Open Government policies. This institutional change integrated the knowledge and experience in Access to Public Information with Open Government efforts, opening up a highly promising scenario for the development of mutually reinforcing policies.

In this context, and coordination with the Open Government Roundtable, the co-creation processCollaboration between government, civil society and other stakeholders (e.g., citizens, academics, private sector) is at the heart of the OGP process. Participating governments must ensure that a dive... of the Fourth Action Plan was launched. Its main objective is to promote a more transparent, participatory, and inclusive public administration.

Through commitments co-created with civil society organizations (CSOs), academia, and 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, the Plan seeks to strengthen the institutionalization of open information practices, generate value through public data, broaden participatory spaces, and align local policies with global challenges such as climate change, state openness, access to rights, and digital transformationGovernments are working to increase access to and quality of government services, improve transparency, and create opportunities for participation by using information and communications technologies.... More.

Open Government Challenges, Opportunities and Strategic Vision

This subsection details the Open Government Strategic Vision in your local area that should guide the commitments for the action plan period.

What is the long-term vision for open government in your context and jurisdiction?

The long-term vision focuses on consolidating Open Government as a tool to address the complex challenges faced by cities and as an effective bridge between government and citizens. This vision seeks to embed 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 collaboration across all areas of public policy, avoiding their restriction to a specific government unit.

The purpose of open government is centered on:

• Fostering citizen participation: Engaging new stakeholders to co-create more effective public policies with greater social impact.
• Promoting value creation through data: Deepening the publication of relevant data to support decision-making and address complex problems.
• Responding to global challenges: Tackling global issues such as climate change, disinformation, artificial intelligence, and the protection of personal data through open government policies.
• Mainstreaming open government values: Building an institutional culture grounded in transparency, citizen engagement, and collaboration.

What are the achievements in open government to date (for example, recent open government reforms)?

The milestones achieved by the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires reflect a solid and evolving path combining transparency, participation, and collaboration. A regional pioneer, it passed one of Latin America’s first Access to Information laws in 1998, updated in 2016.

The City has strengthened its open government agenda through key regulations: Law 3.304 on State Modernization (2009) and Decree 156/2012 creating BAData.

Participation and awareness

In 2016, Resolution 23/SSGECI/19 created the Open State Roundtable (MEAB), a collaborative workspace with government branches, civil society, and academia to co-design policies. In 2025, Resolution 3/SSAJU/25 renewed the mechanism by establishing the Open Government Forum (FOGA) to expand participation and the agenda beyond the Action Plans.

Also, the “Information in Your Hands” program has promoted a culture of transparency by strengthening citizens’ knowledge and use of their right to access public information.

Open dataBy opening up data and making it sharable and reusable, governments can enable informed debate, better decision making, and the development of innovative new services. Technical specifications: Polici...

The BAData portal, launched in 2012, offers 435 datasets. Other platforms include: BA Climate Change, Open Budget, BA Public Works (BAObras), BA Procurement (BA Compras), and the GenderOGP participating governments are bringing gender perspectives to popular policy areas, ensuring diversity in participatory processes, and specifically targeting gender gaps in policies to address gov... More Violence Map.

Participation in OGP Local

Between 2016 and 2025, Buenos Aires delivered 4 OGP Action Plans and led the Local Open Climate Action Circle. In 2025, it coordinated a workshop with cities such as Austin, Glasgow, Bogotá, Plateau State, and Paris to draft a joint document on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Open Govt.

What are the current challenges/areas for improvement in open government that the jurisdiction wishes to tackle?

The City faces key challenges and opportunities in open government: bridging the gap between public information and citizens in a context of misinformation; improving alignment between citizen demands and government initiatives; and expanding participation. Although the City guarantees access to public information through Law 104 and publishes open data on the BAData portal, misinformation highlights the need for accessible, credible information. Co-creation in Action Plans helps connect public demands with policy, but stronger spaces for dialogue are needed. Institutionalized mechanisms like the Open Government Forum exist, yet barriers remain. Strengthening and diversifying participation is essential to include new voices in decision-making.

What are the medium-term open government goals that the government wants to achieve?

Medium-term objectives focus on:

Promoting inclusive citizen participation:

• Expand calls for participatory mechanisms to involve new stakeholders in public decision-making processes
• Incorporate consultative spaces and participatory initiatives to define priorities in resource allocation

Strengthening the production and dissemination of quality open data:

• Ensure that government information is clear, accessible, and effectively communicated

Creating innovative spaces for the use of information, training, and knowledge dissemination:

• Implement training initiatives and promote the use of public data to identify the population’s needs
• Diversify approaches and methodologies for government openness that help combat misinformation
• Create exchange spaces for agents from different cities to share learnings on the implementation of open government initiatives to address specific challenges

How does this action plan contribute to achieve the Open Government Strategic Vision?

The Plan contributes to the Strategic Vision of Open Government by acting as a bridge between government and citizens. Through co-creation, it promotes civil society participation in policy-making, enhancing citizen engagement and impact. It also strengthens a key pillar: creating value through data. By promoting relevant, contextualized information and involving CSOs in shaping formats and topics, it adds value to data openness. The plan aligns open government with global challenges like climate action, misinformation, and inclusive decision-making. Finally, it seeks to foster a cultural shift in public institutions by applying open government principles across all branches.

How does the open government strategic vision contribute to the accomplishment of the current administration’s overall policy goals?

The strategic vision of open government supports the achievement of the current administration’s goals by serving as a key tool to address contemporary challenges and effectively communicate government actions.

This vision enables the City to tackle pressing issues such as climate change, artificial intelligence, and algorithmic transparency, aligning local policies with global challenges and emerging citizen demands. It not only strengthens the government’s ability to respond to today’s problems but also positions the City of Buenos Aires as a proactive actor in generating innovative solutions.

Furthermore, by ensuring transparency and promoting citizen participation, a narrative is built that legitimizes public policies and fosters trust in government. In this way, the City reaffirms its commitment to more open, accountable, and participatory governance.

Engagement and Coordination in the Open Government Strategic Vision and OGP Action Plan.

Please list the lead institutions responsible for the implementation of this OGP action plan.

• General Direction for Access to Information and Open Government of the  Autonomous City of Buenos Aires
• Undersecretary of Legal Affairs of the Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires

What kind of institutional arrangements are in place to coordinate between government agencies and departments to implement the OGP action plan?

Open Government policies—particularly the coordination of OGP Action Plans—are led by the General Direction of Access to Information and Open Government (DGAIGA), which operates under the Undersecretariat for Legal Affairs within the Legal and Technical Secretariat. Both the General Direction and the Secretariat serve as cross-cutting bodies with direct communication channels across several areas of government. These characteristics allow it to assume the role of coordinating strategies between areas, as in the case of the Action Plan.

The General Direction also maintains a well-established network of focal points and representatives across all government areas on matters related to access to information and proactive transparency. Together, they coordinate ongoing policies and strategies to enhance participation and information openness.

What kind of spaces have you used or created to enable the collaboration between government and civil society in the co-creation and implementation of this action plan? Mention both offline and online spaces.

1) Strategic Vision: Within the framework of the Open State Roundtable, the Strategic Vision of the Plan was co-created together with representatives from the three branches of government and civil society organizations.

2) Open Call: A form was distributed to receive proposals from other government bodies (Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches) and civil society, to serve as input for the commitments to be included in the Plan.

3) Prioritization Workshop and Definition of Thematic Areas: The Open State Roundtable was invited to participate in working groups to prioritize the proposals based on their feasibility and impact.

4) Co-creation of Commitments: Collaborative working sessions were held for each proposal, involving the responsible government area and representatives from CSOs, the three branches of government, academia, and the private sector.

5) Public Consultation: Participants in the co-creation sessions were invited to review the draft commitments for final definition.

What measures did you take to ensure diversity of representation (including vulnerable or marginalized populations) in these spaces?

The General Direction implemented a broad, multi-phase strategy to ensure participation from diverse sectors. Key milestones included:

• Awareness-raising sessions: We introduced the co-creation process of the Action Plans and the City’s involvement in OGP through a meeting with government bodies. An OGP representative presented, and we provided ongoing guidance on open government principles.
• Workshops with DialogandoBA: These aimed to expand the Open Government ecosystem by engaging new actors from civil society, including the private sector, corporate foundations, and CSR teams.
• Targeted outreach for co-creation sessions:

1. Mass email invitations with a registration form and background info.
2. Personalized emails to CSOs by interest area.
3. Direct messages to CSO reps via LinkedIn and WhatsApp.
4. Open call via LinkedIn

Who participated in these spaces?

A total of 27 people from civil society, the private sector, academia, and the three branches of government participated in the Strategic Vision Workshop.

The open call for proposals to be included in the 4th Action Plan received 54 submissions: 27 from the Executive Branch, 20 from CSOs and unaffiliated individuals, 4 from the Judicial (later grouped into 2), and 2 from the Legislative Branch.

The proposal prioritization work tables include members from the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branches and CSOs that are part of the Open Government Forum (formerly the Open State Roundtable).

A total of 46 people from civil society, the private sector, academia, and the three branches of government participated in the co-creation sessions for the commitments.

How many groups participated in these spaces?

53

How many public-facing meetings were held in the co-creation process?

6

How will government and non-governmental stakeholders continue to collaborate through the implementation of the action plan?

During the implementation of the 4th Action Plan, collaboration and monitoring spaces will continue to be promoted. The following are some of the proposed initiatives:

1) Monitoring platform: Governmental and non-governmental actors will continue to collaborate through a monitoring platform designed to enable open tracking of the Plan’s progress.
2) Monitoring through Open Government Forum meetings: These meetings will serve as a space for collaborative and interdisciplinary project development among representatives from civil society organizations, the three branches of government, the private sector, and academia.
3) Commitment monitoring meetings: Follow-up meetings will be held with those responsible for each commitment and civil society representatives interested in closely tracking the initiatives.

Please describe the independent Monitoring Body you have identified for this plan.

The monitoring of this Plan will be led by Rocío Annunziata. Rocío holds a Ph.D. in Political Studies (EHESS) and a Ph.D. in Social Sciences (UBA), and is a researcher at CONICET, based at the School of Politics and Government at UNSAM. She has extensive experience researching participatory mechanisms at the local level, such as Participatory Budgeting in Argentina, and more recently, the relationship between citizen participation and new technologies.

Provide the contact details for the independent monitoring body.

• Rocio Annunziata, Ph.D. in Political Studies (EHESS) and Social Sciences (UBA) / Researcher at CONICET, [email protected]

What types of activities will you have in place to discuss progress on commitments with stakeholders?

The General Direction of Access to Information and Open Government will hold regular meetings to discuss the progress of commitment implementation with the responsible areas and request evidence of the reported advancements.

How will you regularly check in on progress with implementing agencies?

A planning meeting will be held before the start of the commitment. Once started, follow-up and support meetings will be held every three months with the relevant areas.

How will you share the results of your monitoring efforts with the public?

A public-facing monitoring website will be implemented to share ongoing progress on the various commitments over time.

Endorsement from Non-Governmental Stakeholders

• Florencia Caffarone, Executive Director, Democracia en Red
• Clara Lucarella, Coordinator of Programs to Strengthen Democracy and Openness of the JudiciaryWhile a majority of open government reforms occur within the executive branch, OGP members are increasingly taking on commitments to increase the openness of the judicial branch. Technical specificati..., Asociación Civil por la Igualdad y la Justicia (ACIJ)

Fourth Open Government Action Plan of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina.