Partnership for Transparency (PTF) Chief Technical Advisor Vinay Bhargava participated in the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit in Tallinn, Estonia on September 6 and 7, 2023. On September 8th, PTF hosted a side event entitled How to Leverage Multilateral Development Banks to Support the Creation and Implementation of OGP Action Plans. Vinay was joined on the panel by Aly Rahim, Program Manager, World Bank Global Partnership for Social Accountability.
The main message from the OGP Global Summit is that, in this era of declining trust in government and the rising need for governments to deliver effective responses, it is more important than ever for governments and civil society to work together. Political will and support are needed to emulate the many good practice examples that were discussed at the Summit. While these are hard to come by, the prospects are not bleak, as many champions of open government are increasing their support.
At the Summit, the civil society members of the OGP Steering Committee issued a statement on the World Bank Evolution Roadmap entitled Empowering Civil Society: Envisioning Collaborative Transformation in World Bank Initiatives. The statement, which is open for endorsement, calls on the World Bank to re-articulate clear roles for citizens and CSOs in its lending and policy engagement at the country level and ensure financial support for civil society.
The statement reinforces the recommendations of the draft PTF study on Enhancing Citizen-Driven Delivery and Accountability in IDA Operations.
