“Open government has become an essential condition for participatory, inclusive and open decision-making at all levels and a valuable instrument for the promotion of human rights at local level,” stated Rafael Benitez, Director of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, at the opening of the regional round table on “Open government and renewal: local governments take action”. The online event was organised jointly by the Congress and the Open Government Partnership (OGP) on 18 February 2022.
Some 120 representatives of national and local decision makers and civil society from Armenia, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine gathered to discuss the contribution of local authorities in all steps of national open government policy making. They shared experiences, challenges and lessons learnt, and discussed strategies and solutions for improved dialogue and sustainable partnership between central and local authorities. “Co-creation and inclusive decision-making provide a sense of belonging in local communities”, underlined the Congress Director.
Participants highlighted the key role national associations of local and regional authorities in supporting peer-exchanges and capacity development, and their importance for enhancing the local government system and allowing for better responses to the needs of citizens.
With the expansion of the OGP Local Programme, co-creation efforts presented by representatives of local authorities and civil society organisations came to the forefront in terms of leading the governance process for democratic renewal, enhanced protection of human rights and resilience of local communities.
The Congress bE-Open tool was presented as a reference and inspiration for local authorities, as it includes relevant international standards, domestic legislation and case law, guidelines and good practices on public ethics, accountability, transparency, and citizen participation.
Local authorities interested in joining the OGP local cohort are invited to submit their application by 16 March 2022.
- Speech by Rafael Benitez, Congress Director
- bE-Open tool
- Call for endorsement of new local authorities into the OGP Local Programme
- Youtube recording of the event (English)
This event was organised in partnership with the Open Government Partnership as part of the projects implemented by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine within the respective Council of Europe Action Plans. These projects contribute to the improvement of the quality of local democracy, strengthening democratic public participation at local level and building citizens’ confidence and trust in public institutions through greater voice, accountability, effectiveness, and inclusiveness of local authorities.
