Steering Committee Co-Chair Agenda 2024-2025

Spain’s co-presidency with Cielo Magno, representing civil society, of the Open Government PartnershipThe Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a multi-stakeholder initiative focused on improving government transparency, ensuring opportunities for citizen participation in public matters, and strengthen... More (OGP) focuses on the core objective of strengthening trust between governments and the people they serve.

In recent years, the erosion of trust in public institutions and electoral processes has posed significant challenges to the very foundations of democratic governance. Public confidence in the ability of governments to respond to multiple crises and transitions is being challenged by increasingly sophisticated anti-democratic forces and disinformation campaigns. Countering these tendencies requires concerted efforts at all levels of government and civil society.

Open Government principles -transparency, accountability and inclusive participation- are paramount to shaping these efforts. Alongside effective and accountable public administrations, these principles are grounded in genuine political leadership, dialogue and collaboration between relevant stakeholders. They present a unique opportunity for consensus-building as they help ensure that the actions of government are visible and understandable to citizen.

PRIORITIES

By assuming the leadership of the 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..., the co-chair of Spain and Cielo Magno will have at its core the main objective of strengthening trust between governments and citizens. The Government of Spain will continue to contribute to the efforts made to date by all OGP members to promote lasting policy changes aligned with Open Government principles.

Spain and Cielo Magno summarise their leadership in several priorities, grouped under three main pillars:

People

Citizens must be placed at the centre of decision-making so that reforming States can continue to lead by example in the cross-cutting implementation of Open Government policies and reforms. Emphasising the intrinsic value of Open Government, the co-presidency will promote good governance that ensures the effectiveness of open public administration as a fundamental right of all citizens.

This implies creating and maintaining environments and spaces that enable civil society to ensure its active and meaningful participation in Open Government processes, while protecting the fundamental freedoms of its members. Allowing civil society organisations (CSOs) to self-regulate and adhere to the values they stand for can help transform our societies. By recognising and fulfilling these mutual rights and responsibilities, civil society organisations become powerful allies in promoting common ends: empowerment, meaningful participation and responsiveness to citizens, thereby strengthening trust in institutions.

Institutions

The co-chair of the Steering Committee will seek to promote integrity and 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 by governments, to inspire consensus strategies to achieve more open administrations.

Spain and Cielo Magno will strengthen political support for Open Government and OGP to forge lasting policy change. This will be achieved through localised efforts and the integration of Open Government practices at all levels and branches of government, so that people can truly participate in the decisions that affect them.

These systemic changes are essential to create a solid framework in which transparency, accountability and inclusive participation are deeply embedded in the institutional culture.

In addition, the expansion of Open Government initiatives at local level will be particularly promoted, as well as the adoption of a multi-level governance approach to address global issues such as climate change and energyEnsuring universal access to sustainable, dependable, and affordable energy is critical to every aspect of prosperity. Increasing public oversight and transparency in the energy sector can help to ens... More transition, promote social and economic inclusionTransparency, participation, and accountability are essential to ensuring that social spending and services reach their intended populations and provide the outcomes that are needed. Technical specifi... More and underpin democratic resilience.

Harnessing digital innovations is crucial to address the ‘twin transitions’ of digital transformationGovernments are working to increase access to and quality of government services, improve transparency, and create opportunities for participation by using information and communications technologies.... More and climate sustainability.

Technology and 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...

The advent of artificial intelligence and green innovation offers opportunities to drive economic growth, the delivery of better services to citizens by public administrations and help build a more equitable, inclusive and participatory future. Climate change and new technologies require urgent solutions that will require a combination of innovation, strong institutions and collaborative approaches across society to ensure they deliver a better world.

As countries manage these transitions, the application of Open Government principles can help maximise the benefits of these innovations while minimising their potential negative impacts.

Spain’s international position will help meet another of its main aspirations during its co-presidency: the promotion of the spirit of reform in other countries through active collaboration. Not only within OGP, but also in other international organisations such as the European Union, the OECD, the CLAD and, of course, in the Ibero-American Community with which Spain maintains a close relationship of collaboration in the field of Open Government.

In this sense, both digitalisation and AI make fostering a culture of Open Data in Public Administrations possible. An appropriate data governance is essential for public decision-making in terms of organisation, procedures, quality and citizen service. In addition, data also allow public policies to be evaluated in all their planning, implementation, execution and impact assessment phases.

Read the full Co-Chair Agenda for 2024-2025 below.