“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 the local level,” said 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 are committed”. The online event was co-hosted by Congress and the Open Government Partnership (OGP) on February 18, 2022.

Some 120 representatives of national and local decision-makers and civil society from Armenia, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine met to discuss the contribution of local authorities at all stages of policy-making Open Government Nationals. They shared experiences, challenges and lessons learned, and discussed strategies and solutions for better dialogue and sustainable partnership between central and local authorities. “Co-creation and inclusive decision-making provide a sense of belonging to local communities,” the Congress Director emphasized.

Participants underlined the key role of national associations of local and regional authorities in supporting peer-to-peer exchanges and capacity building, as well as their importance in improving the local government system and enabling it to better respond to citizens’ needs.

With the expansion of the local OGP program, the co-creation efforts presented by representatives of local authorities and civil society organizations have come to the fore in terms of driving the governance process for democratic renewal, the strengthening of the protection of human rights and the resilience of local communities.

The Congress’ bE-Open tool was presented as a reference and source of inspiration for local authorities, as it includes relevant international standards, national legislation and case law, guidelines and best practices in public ethics, accountability, transparency and citizen participation.

Local authorities interested in joining the local OGP cohort are invited to submit their applications before March 16, 2022.

This event was organized 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 framework of the respective Council of Europe action plans. These projects contribute to improving the quality of local democracy, strengthening democratic public participation at the local level and strengthening citizens’ trust in public institutions through greater voice, accountability, efficiency and inclusion of local authorities.