Fredominfo.org, the international outreach arm of the National Security Archive, recently published an article by Toby McIntosh detailing the new Articles of Governance enacted by the Open Government Partnership (OGP). The changes will create new leadership, as well as affect other policies of the OGP such as backsliding members and whether or not to allow observers into Steering Committee meetings. It’s a very informative post and we wanted to share it.
“OGP Adopts Governance Articles, Disclosure Policy”
18 April 2012
By Toby McIntosh
The Open Governance Partnership Steering Committee has set the structural framework for the future of the unusual multilateral organization run by governments and civil society organizations.
In new Articles of Governance, the OGP describes how the organization will evolve from being run by its founders to being a much-expanded organization with elected leaders. This will include an unprecedented system in which civil society groups will elect representatives to the Steering Committee.
During a lengthy closed meeting April 16, the Steering Committee also adopted a disclosure policy now being praised by freedom of information experts.
In addition, the Steering Committee worked on the standards for the critical next phase of 55-nation organization – the mechanism for reviewing the national action plans in which the member commit to improve their transparency. Public details of that discussion await the posting of the meeting minutes, but sources told FreedomInfo.org that the committee sentiment was to increase civil society involvement in the review process.
The Articles also address how to deal with backsliding members.
The Steering Committee decided at the meeting to consider expanding its policy on having “observers” at its meetings.
The Steering Committee met April 16 and the 26-page Articles of Governance were posted April 17.
