Open Gov Week 2025: A Global Call to Action for Ambitious Reform

From May 19–23, more than 40 countries participated in Open Gov Week 2025, a powerful, global moment to recommit to 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, accountability, and participation. Over 2,000 global events took place, ranging from grassroots dialogues and peer exchanges to high-level ministerial panels, where governments and civil society didn’t just celebrate progress, but pushed for greater 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 po... in the face of global challenges.

From press appearances to escape rooms alongside webinars and parliament-led sessions, reformers captured the energy and urgency of a movement ready to instil change. It marked a milestone in the lead-up to the Open Gov Challenge Awards, where the most ambitious reforms will be recognized at the OGP Global Summit in Spain this October.

Now more than ever, we need bold reforms to meet the moment. 

Here are some of the highlights from Open Gov Week 2025.

Europe: Scale, Innovation, and Summit Preparation

Leading in both scale and creativity, Spain hosted over 1,700 events; the most of any country. These ranged from participatory escape rooms to ministerial roundtables and municipal open data workshops. Through engagement with hundreds of public institutions across levels of government, Spain reinforced its leadership as Co-Chair of the OGP Steering Committee and continued preparations for the OGP Global Summit in October. Registration for the summit is now open. 

Meanwhile, in Lithuania, representatives from nine Nordic+ countries gathered to examine how public participationGiving citizens opportunities to provide input into government decision-making leads to more effective governance, improved public service delivery, and more equitable outcomes. Technical specificatio... and citizen engagement can help build trust and strengthen European democracies. Disinformation and security emerged as key concerns, underscoring the need for coordinated, cross-sector responses.

Asia and the Pacific: High-Level Leadership

The Philippines kicked off the week with a high-level opening ceremony featuring three ministers, agency heads, civil society organizations, and academics—demonstrating broad national buy-in for the Open Gov Challenge. Key themes of the events included institutionalizing and decentralizing open government to improve people’s access to information and deepening public participation.

In the Republic of Korea, OGP CEO Aidan Eyakuze virtually joined government and civil society leaders to discuss how to strengthen the country’s current 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.... Among the conversations included Korea’s Challenge 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... of protecting and financially supporting whistleblowers—a critical step for the nation in  advancing transparency and accountability.

Africa: Peers Supporting Peers

As Nigeria prepares to co-create its fourth action plan, representatives in government and civil society welcomed OGP and IRM staff to support stakeholders ensure inclusive participation in the co-creation process, strengthen political support for open government and explore reform implementation support. This visit was made possible through the EU-funded Partnership for Democracy and Accountability programme.

A standout moment came from Côte d’Ivoire, where the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Souleymane Diarrassouba appeared on national television to promote ideals of open government including shedding light on the work stakeholders are doing to open data across all levels of government. In Tetouan, Morocco, a peer exchange with Morocco, Benin, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Mauritania deepened regional learning, highlighting how collaborative governance can cross borders.

Eastern Partnership

With more than 50 events, Ukraine leveraged Open Gov Week to deepen collaboration between the national and local governments to advance the open gov agenda. Through various activities, including book club discussions, many stakeholders (including citizens outside of the open government community), engaged in conversations about the role of open government in times of war as well as achieving the right balance between openness and national security. 

In Armenia, open government champions partnered with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems to host a conversation on using digital tools to build public trust, particularly when it comes to political financeProviding for transparency in the funding of campaigns, political parties, and democratic politics is an essential accountability mechanism for democratic government and is a growing focus area in OGP... More, beneficial ownershipDisclosing beneficial owners — those who ultimately control or profit from a business — is essential for combating corruption, stemming illicit financial flows, and fighting tax evasion. Technical... More disclosure, and public procurementTransparency in the procurement process can help combat corruption and waste that plagues a significant portion of public procurement budgets globally. Technical specifications: Commitments that aim t... More. Through these mechanisms, governments can strengthen oversight and detect illicit financing.

Moldova’s Parliament organized more than 12 activities during Open Goc Week, opening its doors to all citizens for guided tours, meetings with MPs, and many different activities for people of all ages.

Americas: Action Plans and AI Debates

Government reformers in Brazil brought together national and international stakeholders – including 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 ru... members like the Government of Spain and Steph Muchai – to discuss ways to improve open contractingA transparent procurement process, known as open contracting, increases competition, improves public service delivery, and ensures governments better value for their money. Technical specifications: C... More, beneficial ownership transparency, public participation, and 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. Watch the webinar below.

In Colombia, Open Gov Week spotlighted progress from the country’s fifth open government action plan. Civil society and government leaders shared tangible reforms including transparency in public infrastructure in Cali,transport investments at the national level and initiatives on access to justice led by the Constitutional Court, among others. Colombia also hosted a high-profile event exploring approaches to advance participation and multi-stakeholder engagement to govern artificial intelligence.

Guatemala took the opportunity to train their MSF on commitment writing, review the results and challenges of the commitments in their current action plan, and convened a series of events focused on key issues like fiscal openness and social auditsInstitutional and legal frameworks are necessary for providing assurance of the integrity of financial information and of compliance with budgetary rules and procedure. Technical specifications: These..., 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..., and reducing gender-based violenceReforms that combat gender-based violence are essential for fostering an inclusive society and government that respects human rights and promotes gender equality. Technical specifications: Commitments... More through open government. Government and civil society leaders are preparing the ground for ambitious commitments in these areas.

The Power of Local Governments

Over 30 OGP Local members organized activities, from climate dialogues to youth-led consultations, reinforcing their critical role in making transparency, accountability, and participation real in people’s daily lives.

Through the OGP Local Circles, 172 local leaders and civil society partners from 88 jurisdictions in 34 countries came together to exchange practical strategies for open government. Highlights include:

• Lisbon, Peñalolén, Plateau State, San Joaquín, and Yerevan, in collaboration with NDI, hosted a discussion on anti-corruption messages and the unintended negative effects if not evidence based. Positive, community-driven messaging alongside strong internal engagement can build credibility and reinforce broader reforms. Lessons included Lisbon sharing how they are using communication to foster a culture of integrity.
• Peñalolén, Aragón, Bogotá, and the Basque Country hosted a conversation on inclusionOGP participating governments are working to create governments that truly serve all people. Commitments in this area may address persons with disabilities, women and girls, lesbian, gay, bisexual, tr... More and highlighted how open government is enhancing care and disability services. From Peñalolén’s community-based dementia model to Aragón’s easy-to-read public documents and Bogotá’s digital IncluData platform, local governments are co-creating services that respond to the needs of persons with different abilities.
• São Paulo led a session that explored how local governments are using open government to localize the Sustainable Development GoalsOGP countries are experimenting with open government innovations to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 16+ which includes peaceful, just and inclusive societies.... From participatory planning in Baguio to data-driven dashboards in São Paulo, these examples showed how local reforms can bring global ambitions to life.
• In Córdoba, Argentina, over 500 participants gathered at the IOPD Conference, including OGP Local members from across Latin America and Europe. OGP members shared how open government serves as the ecosystem for meaningful citizen participation—ensuring that engagement is not just symbolic but lasting and institutionalized.

A Global Movement, A Shared Commitment

Around the world, reformers are rising to the challenge. They’re tackling entrenched problems, using digital tools for public good, and building stronger partnerships between governments and the people they serve.

Open government isn’t just a policy tool, it’s a commitment to people. It’s the belief that transparency, accountability, and participation are the foundations of democracy.

And the work doesn’t stop here.

As we look ahead to the Open Gov Challenge Awards and the Global Summit in Spain this October, let’s carry forward the momentum of Open Gov Week. Let’s continue to cheer on reformers. Let’s continue to collaborate. And let’s continue to build governments that serve everyone openly and honestly.