OGP role in anti-corruption and sustainable development
Australian Open Government Partnership Steering Committee member Phil Newman, CEO of Transparency International Australia, is in London for this week’s Anti-Corruption Summit.
Minister for Justice Michael Keenan is also there to announce a number of initiatives.
Sanjay Pradhan the new OGP Support Unit CEO will address the Summit tomorrow and stress the vital role OGP can play in supporting global efforts to fight corruption:
“Over a third of the world’s countries are in OGP, and more are looking to join this rapidly growing movement.This provides a powerful opportunity to translate global commitments at the Summit into concrete country action plans with accountability through OGP’s Independent Review Mechanism. There is huge potential to leverage the leadership of OGP countries in vital areas such as open contracting, beneficial ownership transparency and access to information to inspire and support ambitious reforms in peer countries to fight corruption.”
Further development of Australia’s OGP National Action Plan seems certain to be delayed pending the outcome of the election.
When the smoke clears, the Australian NAP should encompass anti-corruption plans as Sanjay Pradhan suggests, and actions prompted by other international initiatives to which we are committed such as the Sustainable Development Goal 16 that includes targets such as
- Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all
- Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms
- Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels
- Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels
- Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance
- Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements