The United States Withdraws from the Open Government Partnership

Washington, D.C. – The United States government has formally withdrawn from the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a global, voluntary partnership dedicated to government transparency, participation, and accountability. OGP was founded in 2011 by eight governments, including the United States, alongside civil society leaders. 

Aidan Eyakuze, CEO of OGP, said: “Anyone who has followed developments over the last year will not be surprised by this decision of the US government. We recognize the impressive efforts of reformers in government and civil society who have advanced openness and accountability over the years. We remain hopeful that the United States will rejoin the Open Government Partnership at the right moment, bringing energy and commitment back to this shared endeavor of making government better through domestic and global collaboration.”

OGP remains fully committed to its founding vision: supporting governments and civil society to work together to make governments more open, accountable, and responsive to their citizens. The Partnership continues to evolve in response to global democratic challenges, informed by evidence, independent evaluation, and the priorities and experiences of its members. OGP members retain full control over whether, how, and to what extent they participate, including the content of any reforms they choose to pursue. Participation in OGP does not create legal obligations, nor does it limit national sovereignty.

OGP will continue to support our global community of over 70 countries, 150 local governments and thousands of civil society organizations dedicated to effective, transparent, and responsive governance. OGP’s doors also remain open to U.S. reformers who continue to advance the principles of openness and accountability. 

OGP is proud of the impact it has achieved together with its members and partners, including delivering real benefits to the citizens of the United States. Across diverse political systems and contexts, OGP aims to foster a culture of collaboration – between government institutions, across branches of government, and between public authorities and civil society – focused on finding common ground and delivering meaningful improvements in governance. This multi-stakeholder approach has been central to successfully advancing more open, inclusive, effective, and efficient government. Eyakuze added that: “At this complex moment, OGP remains focused on supporting those governments and civil society partners that choose to pursue open government as a means to strengthen democratic governance and public trust.”

Since co-founding OGP in 2011, the United States has played a key leadership role in advancing open government principles globally, inspiring reformers within and beyond its borders. This decision follows the current administration’s withdrawal from 66 other international organizations and last year’s action to dissolve the Open Government Federal Advisory Committee, which convened civil society and government representatives to provide expert advice to the U.S. government on adopting plans to create a more open and accountable government.

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