The event completes the process of development of the 5th Action Plan for Open Government for the Republic of Moldova 2023-2025. It gathered representatives of the State Chancellery of the Republic of Moldova, central and local authorities, the Congress of Local Authorities from Moldova (CALM), development partners and the Open Government Partnership (OGP).

“It is at the local level that the promise of collaboration between authorities, civil society, and residents can be most meaningfully fulfilled and result in strengthened democracy and resilient societies” stated Jelena Drenjanin (Sweden, EPP/PPE), Chair of the Congress Governance Committee during the round table held in Chisinau on 24 November 2023. She also highlighted the intermediary role of local authorities and their essential contribution for achieving national open government commitments.

The 5th Action Plan, approved by the Prime-Minister on 3 November, marks a turning point for the Republic of Moldova. It is the first time since the country joined the OGP in 2011 that the national commitments include a local component co-created with local authorities. In the process, the Congress successfully lobbied for inclusive co-creation, for embedding the local component in the Action Plan, and for including the Congress of Local Authorities from Moldova (CALM) in the national Open Government Co-ordination Committee to represent the voice of local authorities.

During the event, local authorities and civil society were also encouraged to apply to the OGP-Local Programme that supports the creation of local open government commitments in line with the national strategy. The Congress will assist interested local authorities in the process.

The roundtable, organised by the Congress with the State Chancellery and OGP, is part of the ongoing Congress support to reinforcing open local governance in Moldova under the project "Strengthening the Culture of Dialogue and Open and Ethical Local Governance in the Republic of Moldova", implemented within the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova 2021-2024. The project aims to strengthen political dialogue between local and central authorities, improve the quality of local governance through integrity, corruption prevention, open governance, public ethics, and gender equality at the local level, as well as support authorities in managing migration.