The working meeting for the discussion of the Draft Action Plan of Open Government partnership Armenia Program, which was organized jointly by the RA Government and Freedom of Information center of Armenia, was held on 5-6 April 2014. Around 30 representatives of the RA Government and CSOs attended the workshop, organized with financial support of USAID and UNDP.
The main goal of the workshop, which was organize in Government-Civil Society format was to ensure the CSO participation and its contribution in the OGP Action Plan development process, consolidate the SCOs’ ideas and opinions so that the programs and undertakings correspond to the needs of Civil Society and as a final result of the government and civil society representatives’ joint efforts to improve the OGP 2014-2016 Action Plan for Armenia.
The representatives of the RA Government, USAID, UNDP and FOICA held greeted the participants of the workshop.
During the two days working discussions the members of government and the civil society introduced the processes of OGP Armenia and the results of implementation of the First Action Plan (2012-2014), the lessons learned and the appraisals of the civil society. Further the Draft of the second action plan elaborated by the coordinating working group of OGP Armenia activities. During the main working session the participants discussed the functions included in the draft and the newly provided recommendations and approaches of the CSOs, which were prepared based on the requirements of the guidebook of the recommendations on Action Plan elaborated by the experts. Miss Syuzanna Soghomonyan, AYLA Board Member was invited to the meeting as well. She introduced two anti-corruption recommendations to incorporate them in the Draft of the Armenian Action Plan.
19 new suggestions developed and introduced by the government and CSO representatives as a result of the working meeting will be provided to the RA Government for approval and incorporation in the Draft OGP Armenia Action Plan. Further, in June 2014, the completed document of the finalized Action Plan will be submitted to the Central Body of OGP initiative.
OGP was launched in 2011 by eight countries (Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, the Philippines, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States) to provide an international platform for domestic reformers committed to making their governments more open, accountable, and responsive to citizens. Since then, OGP has grown from 8 countries to the 63 participating countries. Armenia joined the initiative in November 2011. The Open Government Declaration declares that it commit to “foster a global culture of open government that empowers and delivers for citizens, and advances the ideals of open and participatory 21st century government.
For more information on Open Government Partnership, please visit the websites www.ogp.am and www.opengovpartnership.org.
