Benin Joins the Open Government Partnership

Commits to More Transparent and Accountable Governance

Washington, D.C. — The Republic of Benin becomes the latest nation to join the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a global partnership of 77 countries and over 150 local jurisdictions working with thousands of civil society organizations to build more open, inclusive, and accountable governments. Benin becomes the 17th African country to join the Partnership, signaling a wider regional commitment to open government.

In its official letter of intent to join the Partnership, the Government of Benin expressed strong alignment with OGP’s mission, reaffirming its commitment to make the government more open and accountable through four key areas: access to information, public participation, strengthening anti-corruption policies, and improving access to new technologies to enhance transparency. Recently, Benin scored a high fiscal transparency index in the 2023 International Budget Survey, the second highest score in Africa.

Rodrigue Chaou, the Director General of the Budget at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, explained that this milestone is an opportunity for the country to play a leading role in open budgeting. “We have already made institutional reforms that put citizens at the heart of financial decision-making—from national policy all the way to budget literacy programs in primary schools. Through OGP, we want to deepen these efforts, especially in areas like access to justice and climate resilience, and exchange with others to find the best models for reform.”

Benin’s membership sets the stage for a deeper collaborative process with civil society to co-create an action plan with civil society organizations that includes concrete commitments to transparency, participation, and accountability. By joining OGP, the country will also collaborate with international reformers across Africa and beyond to share best practices, learn from one another, and push the open government agenda globally to scale up ambitious reforms. 

Aidan Eyakuze, CEO of OGP expresses that Benin’s decision to join OGP is a testament to its desire to build stronger, more responsive institutions that serve its citizens. “We look forward to working with Benin’s government and civil society to support and amplify their ongoing efforts to create a more transparent and accountable government and co-create impactful reforms that improve lives and uphold democratic values,” Eyakuze said.

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ABOUT OGP

The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a unique global initiative that brings together governments and civil society to drive concrete commitments aimed at promoting transparency, increasing public participation, combating corruption, and leveraging technology to make governments more open, effective, and accountable to citizens worldwide.

Launched on September 20, 2011, during the UN General Assembly, OGP began with eight heads of state and an equal number of civil society leaders endorsing the Open Government Declaration and unveiling the first set of action plans, each containing specific commitments to advance open government reforms. Since then, OGP has expanded to 77 countries, 150 local governments, and thousands of civil society organizations. OGP’s Independent Reporting Mechanism ensures accountability by providing comprehensive, impartial reports that assess government progress on these commitments.