Israel Mid-Term Report 2015-2017 – For Public Comment

In 2017, the Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM)The Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM) is OGP’s accountability arm and the main means of tracking progress in participating countries. The IRM provides independent, evidence-based, and objective ... published the progress report for second’s 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.... The report covers the development and first year of implementation of the action plan July 2014 through June 2016.

In Israel, the IRM researcher Roy Peled and Guy Dayan report’s findings are summarized below:

“Most of the commitments for Israel’s action plan aim to improve 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 and access to information. However, the current political climate has undermined CSO involvement in the OGP process. For future action plans, commitments could focus on strengthening 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 enabling civic engagement.”

And in Hebrew:

“מרבית ההתחייבויות בתכנית הפעולה של ישראל מיועדות לקדם שקיפות ולשפר את הנגישות למידע. למרות זאת, המצב הפוליטי הנוכחי הוביל לירידה במעורבות ארגוני החברה האזרחית בתהליך ה-OGP. בתכניות פעולה עתידיות ניתן יהיה לכלול התחייבויות שיתמקדו בחיזוק השתתפות הציבור ובצעדים שיאפשרו את התנאים למעורבות אזרחית.”

The version of the report for public comment is available in English and Hebrew below.  The two-week public comment period closed 22 June 2017.