By Ibtissam Niri
Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist
Empowerment Coach
On April 27th – 28th, 2023, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) hosted a workshop in Rabat in partnership with the House of Representatives. The event was aimed at strengthening open governance practices and fostering engagement between civil society associations and the government. The workshop focused on the Open Governance Partnership (OGP), a global initiative that promotes transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in government affairs. With over 90 member countries, the OGP has been instrumental in driving open governance reforms worldwide since its establishment in 2011.
Morocco, a member of the OGP since 2018, has made remarkable strides in implementing open governance reforms. The country developed its own National Action Plan, which outlines commitments to enhance access to information, encourage citizen participation, and improve public service delivery. This further exemplifies Morocco’s dedication to advancing open governance practices and engaging civil society associations in this process.
The primary objective of the workshop was to train trainers from civil society associations on the knowledge and skills necessary to promote open governance and accountability within their communities. The workshop was attended by 42 members representing 24 associations from all over Morocco, including the HAF-F2F team. The attendees had the opportunity to benefit from interventions and presentations on the OGP in Morocco, including experiences shared by Georgia and Macedonia on how they implemented the OGP in their countries and the challenges they faced.
Through the workshop, participants were able to learn from each other, share their experiences in promoting open governance within their respective communities, and understand the challenges faced in promoting open governance. The workshop provided a valuable opportunity for civil society associations to network, learn, and better understand the importance of collaboration and partnership between government institutions and civil society in achieving open governance.
Additionally, the workshop shed light on the tremendous effort invested by the parliament in drafting legislation. It emphasized the importance of recognizing the complexities and time-consuming nature of lawmaking, which requires extensive deliberation, wisdom, adherence to principles, and patience to ensure that laws respect the rights and freedoms of all segments of society.
In conclusion, the OGP Workshop was a significant event that provided civil society associations with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote open governance and accountability in their communities. Morocco’s impressive progress in the realm of open governance serves as a commendable model for other countries to emulate and continues to work with governments and civil society associations to develop and implement open governance reforms around the world.
References:
Open Governance Partnership website: www.opengovpartnership.org
OGP Morocco: https://www.opengovpartnership.org/members/morocco/
