Argentina, France, Nigeria, and Romania Elected to Lead Open Government Partnership

Newly Elected OGP Steering Committee Members to Start Three-Year Mandates on October 1, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 3, 2018  The governments of Argentina, France, Nigeria, and Romania have been elected to lead Open Government Partnership (OGP), a global partnership that brings together government reformers and civil society leaders to create action plans that make governments more inclusive, responsive, and accountable to citizens. Elected from over 70 eligible OGP participants, the new members of the OGP Steering Committee will serve for three years beginning on October 1, 2018.

OGP CEO Sanjay Pradhan enthusiastically welcomed the election of the new Steering Committee governments. “We are delighted at the election of Argentina and Nigeria and the re-election of France and Romania to the OGP Steering Committee and congratulate them on being elected to this important global leadership body.” Pradhan added, “Given dramatic changes in our geopolitical context, our Steering Committee represents a new coalition of global leaders standing up for openness and democracy.”

Minister for Justice and Attorney-General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Abubakar Malami, stated the government is grateful for the opportunity and is determined to advance the open government agenda. “The government of Nigeria is excited at the opportunity to serve as a member of the OGP Steering Committee. Nigeria is committed to improving anti-corruption measures on asset recovery and the establishment of beneficial ownership register as well as citizen engagement through the use of technology. We look forward to working with other countries, particularly in Africa, to further the OGP principles,” Malami said.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Modernization in Argentina, Andrés Ibarra, highlighted the importance of institutions like OGP to hold governments accountable and to better connect them with civil society and other citizens. He added, “This is an important acknowledgment to Argentina as a country and to the commitment and work done jointly by the National and Provincial Government, the civil society, the legislative and the judicial branches. As part of the Committee, we will actively foster ambitious reforms working together with the community, rising the impact of our work.”

Secretary of State in charge of Digital Affairs from France, Mounir Mahjoubi, thanked OGP participants for the opportunity to renew its mandate in the Steering Committee and is determined to continue working and supporting the OGP community. Mahjoubi said, “We are convinced that it is only with Open Government Partnership that we will be able to lay the groundwork to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by digital technology and, thus, to meet the challenges it represents for our democracies. The important hope for more transparency and openness that the Partnership has provided requires that we put all our energy into sustaining its action, and that we contribute collectively to its development.”

The government of Romania said in a statement that they look forward to joining the Steering Committee for a second term and are committed to continuing to champion open government during their mandate. “On behalf of the Government of Romania, we welcome the news of our re-election for a second mandate in the OGP Steering Committee and look forward to continue our work in this position by playing an active role in promoting and upholding OGP values globally and contributing to shaping the Partnership’s future.”

Comprised of twenty-two members – eleven from government and eleven from civil society – the Steering Committee is the executive, decision-making body of OGP and will develop, promote and safeguard the values, principles and interests of OGP. The Steering Committee government elections took place during the first quarter of 2018, just as the terms of Chile, France, Indonesia, and Romania ended.  As they have not served more than two consecutive terms in the Steering Committee, France and Romania were allowed to run for reelection for a second term.

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ABOUT OGP
Open Government Partnership (OGP) brings together government reformers and civil society leaders to create action plans that make governments more inclusive, responsive and accountable.

OGP was formally launched on September 20, 2011, on the sidelines of a UN General Assembly meeting, when eight heads of state, along with an equal number of civil society leaders, endorsed the Open Government Declaration and published the first cohort of OGP Action Plans with specific open government reform commitments. OGP has since grown to include over 70 national governments (representing a third of the world’s population), 20 local governments, seven multilateral bodies, and hundreds of civil society organizations. OGP’s Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM) holds governments accountable for their commitments by producing thorough, impartial reports that track progress on OGP Action Plans.