Montenegro Designated as Inactive in the Open Government Partnership

Washington, D.C, June 29, 2017 – The Steering Committee of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) decided, by consensus, that Montenegro will regretfully be made inactive in OGP after having acted contrary to OGP processes for three consecutive action plan cycles, and failing to deliver a National Action Plan since November 2014.

The Steering Committee welcomed the high-level commitment of the government of Montenegro to re-engage with the Open Government Partnership, as demonstrated by a letter from H.E. Prime Minister Duško Markovic, received by the OGP co-chairs on June 22, 2017. Nonetheless, in maintaining a consistent and fair approach to enforcing the OGP requirements asked of all participating countries, the OGP Steering Committee resolved to make the government of Montenegro inactive under provisions set out in the OGP Articles of Governance.

The OGP Steering Committee Co-Chairs will send a letter to Prime Minister Markovic explaining the decision and offering their support during the development of the country’s new National Action Plan.

The government of Montenegro will have a maximum of one year to a publish a National Action Plan developed together with extensive and inclusive participation from citizens and civil society. During this year, Montenegro will be considered inactive, which means it will be ineligible to vote in OGP elections and will be allowed to attend OGP events only as an observer for learning purposes. It will continue to receive Steering Committee and Support Unit assistance, including from OGP Working Groups, multilateral partners and peer exchange visits.

Notes to editors:

• During its April 22, 2015 meeting, the Steering Committee unanimously adopted a resolution to clarify rules related to country participation in OGP. This resolution recognized that “all OGP participating governments should be producing new National Action Plans every two years, and that in some circumstances governments that are unable to fulfill all of their obligations under the Articles of Governance should be considered for inactive status until they take steps to re-engage in OGP.”
• Montenegro is the second country to be made inactive under this rule, the first was Turkey.
• For further information on Montenegro in OGP, visit the Montenegro country page.
• For details regarding the decision, please see the Steering Committee’s resolution on Montenegro’s participation in OGP.
• For questions please contact: Dietlind Lerner, OGP Communications Director, dietlind.lerner@opengovpartnership.org