Paul joined the Open Government Partnership in January 2022. He currently leads OGP’s Country Support work in Europe, encompassing strategic leadership, team management and coordination of support to civil society and governments in OGP’s 29 national members in the region. He also provides direct support to the UK, Ireland, France and Spain.
Prior to joining OGP Paul worked in a range of roles in Africa and Asia, as well as at home in Northern Ireland, developing and managing programmes with civil society and governments on democratic and social innovation, as well as participatory governance and human rights. From 2013 to 2022 he led the Building Change Trust and the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland’s work on social innovation and deliberative democracy, which included developing Northern Ireland’s first citizens’ assembly, participatory budgeting and open government initiatives. Before this Paul worked in international development, a subject in which he holds a Masters degree. Working with Irish NGO Trócaire for more than eight years across roles in Pakistan, the DRC and at global level, he supported civil society programmes on participatory governance, gender equality and human rights. Paul is a board member of Involve, the UK’s public participation charity and is based in Belfast.
Paul can be reached at Paul.Braithwaite@opengovpartnership.org
