The period between September to November 2022 marks a crucial time for all the members of OGP and the open government community. During this time, the partnership is gathering the community around multiple regional events, including the Americas Regional Meeting in the Dominican Republic and the Europe Regional Meeting in Rome, Italy. Civil society and national and subnational governments gathered to celebrate the journey so far and raise innovative initiatives to inspire the region to continue to promote these values. These events were a key opportunity for OGP Local, gathering, for the first time ever, all the members – pioneers and new. 

Here, we highlight key moments from Open Americas, hosted by Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on September 26-29. 

• Peer exchange among local members. For the first time ever, the 21 members of OGP Local in the Americas met to exchange their experience, opportunities and challenges facing in their various contexts. 
• Thematic collaboration. The “Local workshop” engaged 40 representatives from local governments, OGP’s Independent Review Mechanism, and civil society representatives, working collaboratively toward building a community of practice – Local Circles, around various themes, including: climate action, digital openness, inclusion, innovation, civil society engagement and Sustainable Development GoalsOGP countries are experimenting with open government innovations to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 16+ which includes peaceful, just and inclusive societies....

The workshop aimed to identify interests, challenges and approaches to engage in the community of practice. If you are interested in joining, click here. 

• Reforms. The members of OGP Local had the opportunity to showcase the most innovative reforms they are implementing in their contexts. The following stood up: 

a. Digital strategies for social participation in the municipality of Rosario, Argentina. 

b. Technical difficulties around local 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... in Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas in Ecuador and Brazil. 

c. Open data and reforms around rights of the LGBTQIA+Increasing opportunities for participation and creating accountability mechanisms for the LGBTQIA+ community in policy-making and service delivery can ensure that their voices are heard and changes ar... community in Buenos Aires, Argentina 

d. Citizen participationAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, citizen participation occurs when “governments seek to mobilize citizens to engage in public debate, provide input, and make contributions that lead to m... More in digital spaces and identification of future strategies online and offline in the prefecture of São Paulo, Brazil.

e. Toward a coalition to present open government proposals in Nuevo Leon state, Mexico. 

f. Learnings from the co-creation processCollaboration between government, civil society and other stakeholders (e.g., citizens, academics, private sector) is at the heart of the OGP process. Participating governments must ensure that a dive... from the Peñalolén, Chile action planAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open governmen.... 

g. Approaches to the inclusionOGP participating governments are working to create governments that truly serve all people. Commitments in this area may address persons with disabilities, women and girls, lesbian, gay, bisexual, tr... agenda with an open government lens in Bogota City, Colombia. 

h. Everyday justiceTo address barriers that prevent citizens from having their justice needs met, OGP participating governments are working to expand transparency, accountability, and inclusion into all systems of justi... through citizen access in Mexico State in Mexico. 

• National-local integration. Representatives from five national and local governments shared their experiences and efforts around integration between the national and local processes and opportunities that OGP Local can leverage to mainstream open government at the national and local levels.
• Input toward the OGP strategy. Representatives from all OGP Local members participated in the roundtable toward the OGP strategy, discussing capacity buildingEnhancing the skills, abilities, and processes of public servants, civil society, and citizens is essential to achieving long-lasting results in opening government. Technical specifications: Set of ac... around open government, as well as how to best coordinate among government levels toward openness.

The meeting was — no doubt —productive and inspiring and fostered greater ambition and openness in the region. Thank you to all who made this possible, and thank you to the attendees for sharing their experiences. Join the conversation around OGP Local.