PAGOF

Initiated in 2011 by US President Barack Obama, the Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a supra-national structure that in 2018 encompassed some 75 countries and hundreds of civil society organisations (CSOs) advocating reforms leading to transparent governance and active involvement by citizens in promoting joint public action.

The involvement of French-speaking countries in Africa in the OGP is to date still limited, but the process is stimulating increasing interest. Burkina Faso joined Côte d'Ivoire and Tunisia at the 2016 Global Summit in Paris. Morocco joined the OGP in April 2018, and Guinea and Senegal are close to becoming eligible for membership.

In these countries, both traditional and new media (digital terrestrial TV, online press, social media, etc.) play an essential role in raising public awareness of OGP initiatives, providing information about OGP projects and promoting support. Accountability, a hot topic amongst citizens' aspirations, has become a driving force behind public policies.

PAGOF's purpose is to mentor stakeholders and monitor reforms in Burkina Faso, Tunisia and Côte d'Ivoire, and also in recently accepted countries (Morocco) and countries on the brink of membership (front-runners like Guinea and Senegal), in the definition and implementation of priority actions. It further aims to provide information and support in countries that are close to becoming eligible for membership (Benin, Haiti, Mauritius, Madagascar and the like) and to promote exchanges between these stakeholders.