TRANSFORMING OUR WORLD THROUGH OPEN GOVERNMENT IN ASIA-PACIFIC
Are you promoting open government initiatives in a country of Asia-Pacific to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs? What transformative steps are you taking to promote more open and inclusive societies?
Please share these initiatives with us and you might be selected to present them at the forthcoming Asia-Pacific Regional OGP Workshop hosted by the Asian Development Bank, in collaboration with the Open Government Partnership Support Unit, United Nations Development Programme, and Ford Foundation in the Philippines!
BACKGROUND
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Support Unit are joining hands to put into action the commitments under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Citizens want transparent, effective, and accountable governments, with institutions that empower people and respond to their aspirations. OGP is a multilateral initiative that aims to secure concrete commitments from governments, in partnership with civil society, to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance, building on the four open government principles of transparency, accountability, citizen participation, technology and innovation.
More than 50 OGP participating countries have endorsed the Joint Declaration on Open Government for the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Declaration commits participating governments to take advantage of the OGP infrastructure — including the National Action Plan and the guaranteed participation of civil society — to help achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
UNDP has been a multilateral partner of OGP since October 2013.
MAPPING OPEN GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
We are now seeking examples of open government initiatives that can help contribute to the achievement of SDGs, in particular by meeting the following criteria:
√ Government and civil society are working together to promote transparency, accountability, and/or citizen engagement, either at the national or subnational level;
√ The initiatives contribute to the achievement of the sustainable development goals and demonstrate measurable results (e.g., good health, quality education, rule of law and access to justice, gender equality, climate action);
√ The initiatives aim at leaving no one behind: Marginalized groups, the poor, minorities, women, young people, people with disabilities, are part of the process and/or benefit from the reform;
√ The initiatives are based on innovative approaches, methodologies and/or use of new technologies.
Illustrative examples of open government initiatives that can spur progress on the SDGs can be found here.
All the initiatives meeting these criteria will be promoted via UNDP and OGP’s international networks. The top 3 initiatives with the highest potential to transform our world and “reach the last mile” will be selected for presentation at the Asia-Pacific Regional OGP Workshop hosted by the Asian Development Bank, in collaboration with the OGP Support Unit, UNDP, and Ford Foundation in the Philippines on July 21-22 2016. UNDP will cover the cost of travel for the presenter of the initiatives.
WHO CAN CONTRIBUTE AND HOW
Whether you are a representative from a UNDP Country Office, government, civil society, academia, development partner or a private citizen, we would like to hear about these innovative initiatives taking place in the Asia-Pacific region (both in OGP participating and non-participating countries). Please share your experience by filling in the template attached and sending supporting materials (link to webpage, video, brochure, report, etc.). Deadline for submitting this information to Liviana Zorzi (liviana.zorzi@undp.org) is 3 June 2016.
