The head Secretariat of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Ralph Jimmeh is appealing to the principle heads of government ministries and agencies to collaborate with the OGP Secretariat in submitting their commitments as it relates to their respective responsibilities in pushing the government agenda.Speaking on ELBC Super Morning Show Mr. Jimmeh, said the OGP Secretariat is currently having discussions with Ministries, Agencies and Government state-owned enterprises to support the project which is aimed at enhancing government efforts. He emphasized that OGP is partnering with government in making deliverables of ministries and agencies visible to citizens.
He however urged civil society organizations working in partnership with government in achieving its goals to join the OGP Secretariat in holding ministries and agencies accountable. He averred that the OGP Secretariat focus is to build the government’s image internationally with donors noting that when government lacks accountability its scare donors.
Following the submission of ministries and agencies’ commitments, Jimmeh stressed that the OGP will take the commitments to the citizens across the country through awareness forum in order to know the responsibility of the various government entities. He maintained that part of the project is to open the workings of government to its people for accountability and transparency purpose.
He disclosed that the OGP is face with many challenges including low budgetary support, lack of political will, poor awareness nationally and sub-nationally, insufficient government bide-in and lack of ownership.
He commended the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) for supporting the project and called on government to come in with full support for the success of the project. According to him, government is not taking ownership of the OGP project and therefore, appeal to government to take the project as its’ own.
Recently, the OGP Secretariat in collaboration with Legislative Information Service (LIS) held a one day round table discussion with members of the Liberian Senate and the Honorable House of Representatives of the 54th Legislature on Liberia’s role as member of the Open Government Partnership (OGP).
The one day discussion was held under a project title: “advancing transparency, social, political and financial accountability in governance process”.
Open Government Partnership is a voluntary international initiative that aims to secure transformative commitments from governments to the citizens, to promote openness and transparency in government, enhance citizen’s participation, fight corruption and harness new technologies to strengthen governance.
Liberia formally joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP) on September 7, 2011 with the aim of deepening and guaranteeing the implementation and improvement of key reforms. Liberia is one of the first country’s to develop an action plan in 2013. Liberia has developed three action plans and signed the table mountain declaration (FOI Act in 2010).
Liberia’s performance in the 2013-2015 OGP National Action Plan (NAP) listed the country among the poorest performing countries amongst OGP acceded countries. The 2015 to 2017 report also ranked Liberia as limited thus placing the country amongst countries that need serious attention. TNR.
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