OGP at 15 Co-Chairs Global Call to Action

In 2026, the Open Government Partnership (OGP) marks 15 years of bringing governments and civil society together to make government more transparent, accountable and responsive. What began in 2011 with eight founding countries has grown into a global partnership of more than 70 national governments, 140 local governments and thousands of civil society organizations, delivering concrete reforms in every region of the world.

This anniversary arrives at a demanding moment for our societies. Trust in institutions is eroding. Civic space is shrinking. Information environments are under stress. Corruption and illicit finance drain public resources and undermine accountability. 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 is reshaping what governments can and should do, and how citizens can hold them to account. The climate crisis demands new forms of government 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 public,... More and public voice.

At the IX OGP Global Summit in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, in October 2025, governments and civil society took stock of both progress and the threats to it. The Vitoria-Gasteiz Declaration, adopted by the OGP Steering CommitteeThe Steering Committee is OGP’s executive decision-making body. Its role is to develop, promote and safeguard OGP’s values, principles and interests; establish OGP’s core ideas, policies, and rules; a... and endorsed by a coalition of almost 200 national and local governments and CSOs, reaffirmed our collective 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 protect democracy through open government reforms and leveraging OGP as a platform for action. It was a statement of political will.

To mark this 15th anniversary, OGP and the Ford Foundation co-hosted the OGP Leaders Roundtable “OGP at 15: Openness, Resilience and Prosperity”, beside the UN General Assembly. The event convened high-level representatives of government, civil society, funders and multilateral partners to reaffirm the principles of the Declaration and set the ambitionAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, OGP commitments should “stretch government practice beyond its current baseline with respect to key areas of open government.” Ambition captures the potentia... for the Partnership’s next phase.

CALL TO ACTION

As Government and Civil Society Co-ChairsThe Steering Committee is led by a pair of lead co-chairs, one from government and one from civil society, who are part of a leadership troika comprising the current (lead), incoming, and outgoing co-... More, we call on every OGP member, national and local, across all branches of government, and on our civil society, multilateral and funding partners, to use OGP to make and support ambitious commitments in at least one of the three priorities areas discussed during the Roundtable and through which open government can deliver concrete answers to today’s most pressing issues:

• Inclusive and resilient societies. Protect and expand the civic space 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 more ... More, media freedom and access to information on which democracy depends, and ensure reforms reach women, young people and under-represented communities.
• Democratic digital governanceAs evolving technologies present new opportunities for governments and citizens to advance openness and accountability, OGP participating governments are working to create policies that deal with the ... More. Govern emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure and the use of information and data, harnessing their potential while safeguarding rights and democratic oversight.
• Prosperous and competitive economies. Use openness to fight corruption, strengthen fiscal transparency and deliver fair, sustainable growth and a credible response to climate and environmental challenges.

We call on governments and civil society to:

• Commit. Bring ambitious new reforms through national or local commitments.
• Deliver. Move from pledge to implementation to ensure that reforms meet people’s needs and improve their lives.
• Inspire. Share results and lessons, including through OGP thematic networks and knowledge products to inspire others.

We ask partners and funders to:

• Invest in the reformers driving this agenda, with sustained and predictable technical and financial support.
• Align resources behind the three priorities above, multiplying the impact of national reforms.
• Champion open government in your networks of international forums, organizations, and partnerships.

We issue this call in a moment when we look back with confidence at what open government has achieved and forward with urgency at what remains to be done. The challenges are real. The tools exist. The coalition is vibrant. Fifteen years in, the case for open government is proven. The task now is to scale it. Our coming together is a demonstration of our commitment to the ideals of democracy and open government. We invite every member and partner to answer this call.

As Government and Civil Society Co-Chairs, we will lead by example through our co-chairs Agenda and, by working with the OGP Support UnitThe OGP Support Unit is a small, permanent group of staff that work closely with the Steering Committee and the Independent Reporting Mechanism to advance the goals of the Open Government Partnership.... and community, we will ensure that the Partnership’s next decade is its most ambitious yet.

New York, September 23, 2026

The Government of the United Kingdom, OGP Government Co-Chair 2026-2027
Laura Neuman, OGP Civil Society Co-Chair 2026-2027