Local Roundup | September 2023

Here’s our monthly roundup of updates from the OGP Local community for September 2023.

OGP SUMMIT HIGHLIGHTS

• Representatives from 45 OGP Local members actively participated in the OGP Global Summit in Tallinn, Estonia. Learn more about the different activities local government and civil society leaders participated in here! 
• Check out some of the Summit highlights from OGP Local members on social media and local newspapers: Aragon, Spain; Basque Country, Spain; Valencian Community, Spain;  Yerevan, Armenia; Tetouan Municipality, Morocco; Abuja, Nigeria; Bogotá; Colombia; São Paulo, Brazil.

2023 OPEN GOVERNMENT AWARDS

Six OGP Local members received the 2023 Open Government Award at the Global Summit in Tallinn, Estonia. 

• Nandi County, Kenia, won the 2023 Open Government Award for the Nandi Data Desk, a centralized platform for tracking and comparing the county’s performance in different sectors, from ward level to county level. 
• Tarkwa-Nsuaem, Ghana was awarded for their Youth Entrepreneurship and Women Empowerment Programme, which dedicated 10 percent of municipal funds to equipping youth and women with employable skills in areas of engineering, agriculture and commerce.
• Aragon, Spain was granted the OGP Award for its initiative Gobierno Facil, which invites people with disabilities to redesign legal and administrative texts using easy reading and create simpler and clearer products for all audiences. Learn more about it here. 
• Glasgow, United Kingdom, was awarded for exploring models of Citizen Power that are embedded in the way the city functions to create sustainable changes.
• Yerevan, Armenia received the Open Government Award for the “Green Seal-Green Deal”, an initiative that incentivizes the institutions under the municipal authority to follow green procurement and implement energy-saving and cost-effective measures. 
• Finally, Contagem, Brazil won for their initiative called “Aqui tem remédio”. This is a digital platform that enables citizens who rely on municipal pharmacies to track the availability of medicines across pharmacy units.

OPPORTUNITIES

• The OGP Local call for expressions is now open! The new expansion of OGP Local has a planned intake of up to 50 new local governments in 2024. Take note of the following informational sessions and apply here!
• Participate in the Open Gov Challenge by demonstrating relevant progress in the different  areas –  identified in OGP’s 2023-2028 strategy –  through your OGP action plans or beyond! 
• The Council of Europe Division of Elections and Participatory Democracy is expanding its pool of international consultants to promote and enhance participation in political decision-making. Find more information and apply before October 2 here.
• Osasco, Brazil, has launched a Public Consultation regarding their Open Data Plan. There is time until 12/10 to add your suggestions.

EVENTS

• Sao Paulo, Brazil and Córdoba, Argentina held a new session of the OGP Local Circle on SDGs to discuss the rol of the private sector in the 2030 Agenda. Watch the recording here. 
• If you are joining the Abrelatam Community meeting and the Condatos Conference next month, make sure to check out these key informational items to plan your trip to Uruguay. 
• The International Observatory on Participatory Democracy (IOPD) will hold its international conference on November 6-8, in Rio de Janeiro, to discuss the state of participatory democracy around the world. 
• Kaduna State’s government in Nigeria and Youth Innovation Hub, Kaduna, organized a one-day OGP youth strategy session. Learn more about Kaduna’s commitment to involve youth in decision-making.
• OGP Local Member Peñalolen, Chile, spoke about civic space and citizen participation at the Chilean Public Market Expo. 

DON’T MISS

• Check out the latest IRM Report on Local Action Plans! The Independent Reporting Mechanism looked at 72 commitments implemented by 29 local governments from around the world. Learn more here.
• Bogota, Colombia’s opinion article titled “What is smart government for?” explores the transformation of traditional politics into intelligent governance through technology, open government principles, and citizen engagement.
• Abuja, Nigeria’s Revenue Mobile App, an auxiliary of Global Digital Economy, was introduced to make it easier for people to pay their revenue in the comfort of their offices or homes, and directly to the appropriate account approved by the Council.

BLOG:

• Five Takeaways from the First OGP Local Assembly Meeting,  by Mercedes Nasiff and José María Marín. 

Looking for more? Read our previous local roundups.