Uncategorised 28th April 2016

Make plans for Paris in December

by Peter Timmins

The OGP Global Summit 2016 will take place in Paris on December 7, 8 and 9, with the Civil Society Day on the 7th.

In announcing the event, the Minister of State for State Reform and Simplification said
I am pleased to launch this year’s Open Government Partnership World Summit, and thereby to promote, via means and actions, a more transparent and collaborative public action. An open government is one in which digital tools enable each citizen to better know, understand, and guide the public decision process and to set free a democracy-changing collective intelligence. Thus open government can restore confidence in our institutions and in their ability to respond to the great challenges we face. Long-term challenges such as living together, environmental protection and globalization, require commitment from each and every one of us. In the digital age, decisions need to be simplified and democracy enriched. The duties of Minister of State for State Reform and Simplification have been entrusted in me, and they will help us succeed in the Open Government Partnership, which puts executive integrity and public decision openness at the center of the democratic healing that we wish for. France is at the forefront of this modernization effort.

Ministers from 41 countries attended the Global Summit in Mexico in October 2015.

Australia should plan for a strong showing from government and civil society this year to join with an international community mostly viewed from a distance for the past four years.

An Australian minister is yet to attend any OGP gathering.

Details of the Summit including an invitation for event proposals from all-comers are here:

“In keeping with the OGP’s spirit of cooperation and co-creation, the agenda for the Global Summit will be co-created between governments and civil society. Here, you will be able to submit event proposals and exchange with other applicants around session projects.

Propositions can adopt the following formats:

  • Lecture: Panel around open government themes (up to 80 minutes).
  • Workshop: Hands-on workshop allowing the exchange of experiences around interactive activities (up to 80 minutes).
  • Pitch: Short and dynamic intervention showcasing concrete examples of open government experiences (10 to 15 minutes)
  • External event: A referral system is proposed in order to allow for external events from around the world to participate in the “Open Government Week” (December 5 – December 11)

The provisional list of tracks in which submissions can be classified is:

  • Climate and sustainable development
  • Transparency, accountability and fight against corruption
  • Digital, development and Francophonie
  • Civic tech and participatory tools
  • Open resources and open data
  • Public innovation
  • Subnational
  • Open parliament
  • Access to information
  • Civic space and human rights
  • How to open government
  • Regional focus”