Malta Results Report 2023-2025

Malta’s fourth 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 governmen... ended the country’s inactivity in OGP and saw the establishment of a multi-stakeholder forumRegular dialogue between government and civil society is a core element of OGP participation. It builds trust, promotes joint problem-solving, and empowers civil society to influence the design, imple.... However, the plan achieved limited completionImplementers must follow through on their commitments for them to achieve impact. For each commitment, OGP’s Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM) evaluates the degree to which the activities outlin... More and no significant early resultsEarly results refer to concrete changes in government practice related to transparency, citizen participation, and/or public accountability as a result of a commitment’s implementation. OGP’s Inde... More, and there was minimal dialogue between government and civil society during implementation. Rebuilding trust and institutionalising the multi-stakeholder forum will be essential to ensure Malta’s OGP process leads to results.

Implementation

Malta’s fourth action plan lifted the country from inactivity status in OGP, after being designated inactive by the OGP Steering Committee in 2022.[1] Of the four commitments, one was substantially completed, and none achieved significant early results. While the level of completion was low, the fourth action plan represents a modest improvement compared to Malta’s previous action plan, for which the IRM could not establish that any commitments achieved early results due to a lack of evidence.[2]

Commitment 2 on victims’ support and Commitment 4 on youth proofing saw some progress. For Commitment 2, the Victims Support Agency improved its web portal to function as a one-stop resource to connect victims with the appropriate support services,[3] extended its National Support Line to 24/7 availability, and expanded collaboration agreements with government and non-government agencies. For Commitment 4, the National Youth Agency co-developed a youth proofing mechanism with youth organisations. The initiative contributed to the adoption of a Council of Europe (CoE) resolution on youth perspectives in policy-making during Malta’s CoE Presidency in 2025.[4] At the time of writing, the youthRecognizing that investing in youth means investing in a better future, OGP participating governments are creating meaningful opportunities for youth to participate in government processes. Technical ... More proofing mechanism has been submitted for approval to Cabinet. Both commitments were driven by dedicated state agencies with clear sector-specific ownership, which proved to be an enabling factor. However, in the case of victims’ rights, civil society organisations (CSOs) were not involve

d in implementation,[5] limiting the commitment’s results.

Participation and Co-Creation

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) coordinates Malta’s OGP process. The MoJ established a multi-stakeholder forum (MSF) for the development of the fourth action plan.[6] This was a positive step compared to previous plans, where there was no space dedicated for dialogue between government and civil society on OGP. The process of developing the action plan was more transparent compared to previous plans, with the government publishing reasoned responses to civil society’s suggestions to draft commitments.[7] However, the process was compressed to one month prior to the deadline for the government to submit the action plan to OGP. The commitments were pre-identified and drafted by the government, limiting civil society’s influence over the plan’s content. During implementation, the MoJ reconvened the MSF only once in February 2024, did not update the OGP webpage, and declined civil society requests for meetings.[8] These shortcomings led to the withdrawal of civil society stakeholders from the process, including the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, and reflected a broader erosion of trust.[9]

Implementation in Context

The submission of Malta’s fourth action plan in December 2023 ended a prolonged period of inactivity in OGP and helped revitalise the OGP process in the country. The action plan was developed and implemented against a backdrop of longstanding challenges in the relationship between MoJ and civil society. The MoJ identified civil society polarisation as the main barrier to implementation.[10] On the other hand, civil society pointed to a lack of political prioritisation at the highest levels of government and unwillingness to engage advocacy-based CSOs on priorities related to the rule-of-law,[11] particularly the recommendations from the Daphne Caruana Galizia Public Inquiry.[12] Despite these challenges, the establishment of the MSF and the results achieved by sector-specific agencies – particularly in youth policy, where co-creation with youth organisations was meaningfully embedded – demonstrate that collaboration with certain ministries (like the MoJ) and rule-of-law advocacy CSOs is possible when there is willingness to engage. Several CSOs expressed readiness to reset the relationship should the government demonstrate renewed commitment to the OGP process.[13] This will require sustained 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... from all stakeholders to maintain dialogue throughout implementation and to build on the areas where collaboration has shown results.

[1] Open Government Partnership, Resolution of the OGP Steering Committee Regarding the Participation Status of Malta in OGP, 24 March 2022, https://www.opengovpartnership.org/documents/resolution-of-the-ogp-steering-committee-regarding-the-participation-status-of-malta-in-ogp-2022/.

[2] Open Government Partnership, Malta Transitional Results Report 2018– 2020, 26 October 2021, https://www.opengovpartnership.org/documents/malta-transitional-results-report-2018-2020/.

[3] Victims Support Agency, Collaborating Agencies, accessed 18 February 2026, https://victimsupportagency.com/collaborating-agencies/.

[4] Council of Europe, Resolution on the Council of Europe Reference Framework on a Youth Perspective, 9 October 2025, https://rm.coe.int/resolution-on-the-coe-reference-framework-on-a-youth-perspective-w-app/488028cf72.

[5] Daphne Foundation, interview by the IRM, 19 January 2026; SOS Malta, interview by the IRM, 20 January 2026; Repubblika, interview by the IRM, 21 January 2026.

[6] Open Government Malta, accessed 14 February 2026, https://opengov.gov.mt/multi-stakeholder-forum/.

[7] Open Government Partnership, IRM Action Plan Review: Malta 2023-2025, 15 July 2024, https://www.opengovpartnership.org/documents/malta-action-plan-review-2023-2025/.

[8] Daphne Foundation, interview by the IRM, 19 January 2026; SOS Malta and Aditus, interview by the IRM, 20 January 2026; Repubblika, interview by the IRM, 21 January 2026.

[9] Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, Why we have withdrawn from Open Government Partnership Malta, 15 April 2025, https://www.daphne.foundation/en/2025/04/15/withdrawal-from-ogp-malta.

[10] Ministry of 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..., interview by the IRM, 12 February 2026.

[11] Daphne Foundation, interview by the IRM, 19 January 2026; SOS Malta and Aditus, interview by the IRM, 20 January 2026; Repubblika, interview by the IRM, 21 January 2026.

[12] Global Freedom of Expression, Columbia University, English translation of the public inquiry report into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, December 2021, https://globalfreedomofexpression.columbia.edu/publications/english-translation-of-the-public-inquiry-report-into-the-assassination-of-daphne-caruana-galizia/.

[13] Daphne Foundation, interview by the IRM, 19 January 2026; SOS Malta and Aditus, interview by the IRM, 20 January 2026; Repubblika, interview by the IRM, 21 January 2026.