As the world looks to a post-pandemic future, a number of global fora in 2021 offer opportunities to chart the course toward building back better and renewing our democracies. Civil society champions and government reformers can use these summits to build international momentum around key policy goals, with the support of OGP. 

A Full Calendar

The remainder of 2021 is packed with relevant international gatherings:

• G7 Summit, hosted by the UK in June, will include discussions on anti-corruption and the release of an Open Societies Charter
• UNGASS, hosted by the United Nations (UN) in June, the first ever UN General Assembly Special Session on corruption, followed by the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July, will focus on pandemic recovery, 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 tackling inequality
• G20 Summit, hosted by Italy in October, will address corruption in sports, organized crime (with links to procurement and 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), corruption measurement, and corruption in times of crisis
• OGP Global Summit, hosted by South Korea (in-person and virtually) in December, will emphasize anti-corruption, civic space and 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 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
• Summit for Democracy, which U.S. President Biden has committed to hosting in December 2021 or January 2022, will focus on anti-corruption and kleptocracy, human rightsAn essential part of open government includes protecting the sacred freedoms and rights of all citizens, including the most vulnerable groups, and holding those who violate human rights accountable. T..., and countering authoritarianism

Below is a visual overview of the 2021 calendar.

Act Globally, Think Locally

International convenings offer three significant opportunities to OGP stakeholders. First, international gatherings can help increase 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... domestically. Local actors  crafting new action plans can highlight to government officials the opportunity they have to receive global recognition for announcing bold summit deliverables – especially at the OGP Global Summit and the Summit for Democracy. Given over 100 OGP national and local members are co-creating new plans this year, this is a major opportunity.

Second, the convenings can advance global norms on areas where progress is needed at the national or local levels. Key policy topics – such as beneficial ownership – could receive a boost, particularly if summit hosts advance new benchmarks and drive positive competition. Outside-in pressure could bolster bottom-up advocacy. OGP is paying particular attention to the thematic priorities of our co-chairs: anti-corruption, civic space and public participation, and digital innovation.

Third, these gatherings can provide a valuable opening for stakeholders to access the lessons learned they need to deliver on new reform commitments. Especially at the OGP Global Summit, targeted thematic exchanges can provide vital input to shaping implementation of 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... commitments.

OGP as a Force Multiplier

OGP’s 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... and staff are working to maximize the opportunities of the 2021 calendar. OGP has started by providing coordination support to civil society groups working to influence these summits, so that they can share information and align strategies.

All too often, global summits are “talk shops” that generate warmly worded communiqués but little follow through. To help avoid this and advance local accountability, OGP will be encouraging summit attendees to enshrine summit commitments in their OGP action plans, which are then monitored by the Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM).

We also plan to engage with summit hosts to offer lessons from OGP’s experience of hosting participatory convenings so that citizen voices can be meaningfully incorporated before, during, and after the gatherings. For instance, consultations underway as part of action plan development can provide valuable input to government officials who are crafting deliverables for these summits. Throughout the year, we will also seek to draw connections between different summits, so they build on each other’s momentum and achieve greater impact.

Got ideas for how you could leverage 2021 summits to advance your open gov work? Suggestions for how the OGP can support you in doing so? Please let us know and contact summit@opengovpartnership.org!