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Sierra Leone Results Report 2021-2023

Sierra Leone’s fourth action plan saw a high level of implementation and notable early results. Coalitions of reformers increased civil society engagement in parliamentary activities and advanced legal reforms to open the extractives sector. The 2023 elections spurred electoral reforms while also delaying implementation of some commitments. The Sierra Leone OGP Secretariat and Steering Committee continued to oversee a collaborative and transparent OGP process.

Early Results

Sierra Leone’s fourth action plan saw strong early results. Under Commitment 1, civil society engagement with parliament was formalized through the establishment of a CSO Desk and the Parliamentary Civil Society Network. Greater inclusion of civil society in parliamentary discussions and deliberations was already evident during the action plan cycle.

Notable progress in strengthening extractive sector transparency includes enactment of the Mines and Minerals Act (2022) and review of the Sierra Leone Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (SLEITI) Bill, Companies Act (2009) and Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) Open Data Policy. The legal framework advanced under Commitment 4 now mandates publication of beneficial ownership (BO) information in the extractive sector.

Sierra Leone also achieved moderate results in increasing access to justice under Commitment 2 and strengthening electoral integrity in Commitment 3. Progress was made towards free, open and fair elections during the June 2023 elections. However, opportunities remain to address legal inconsistencies and strengthen the results management process.

Completion

All commitments achieved a substantial level of implementation. Organised coalitions of reformers were a driving factor behind open extractives and open parliament reforms.

Participation and Co-Creation

The National Council for Civic Education and Development continues to host Sierra Leone’s OGP Secretariat under its mandate to strengthen democratic processes through civic education.[1] The NaCCED Chairman serves as the OGP Point of Contact. The OGP Coordinator and Steering Committee oversaw a collaborative process to develop the action plan. Strategic outreach efforts throughout the action plan cycle included a national OGP symposium, high-level stakeholder engagement and public consultations on mainstream media and social media.[2]

Implementation in Context

The COVID-19 pandemic and 2023 general elections impacted the design, implementation and availability of resources for the action plan. While the elections posed a disruption to implementation generally, they also spurred electoral reform seen under Commitment 3. Despite these challenges, a substantial level of implementation was achieved across commitments.

[1] ‘About Us’, National Council for Civic Education and Development (NaCCED), https://www.nacced.gov.sl/about-us/.

[2] ‘Open Government Partnership (OGP)’, NaCCED, https://www.nacced.gov.sl/ogp/.

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