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Rabat – Ghita Mezzour, Morocco’s Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of Digital Transition and Administration Reform, outlined on December 16 the fastidious participation of the country at the 2021 Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit.
The summit was held remotely in the Republic of Korea between December 15 to 17.
The Open Government Partnership aims to promote transparency, boost citizens’ participation, fight corruption, and use new technologies to strengthen governance.
Mezzour, who participated in a high-level dialogue on “future challenges for inclusion, equality and participation” in the MENA region, highlighted the pivotal role that digitalization plays in achieving inclusion and boosting citizen participation.
The OGP Global Summit Korea saw an active participation of Moroccan officials, including the Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch in the opening session alongside 14 Heads of States and Governments from the member countries of the OGP Multilateral Initiative.
During the Summit, the Regional Council of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima ranked third in the Open Government Prize for Local Innovation for developing an electronic platform to monitor and evaluate regional development programs.
The eager participation of Moroccan representatives is “the result of the efforts made by the government to enshrine the principles of openness and citizen participation,” the ministry said in a statement quoted by Morocco’s state agency MAP.
The ministry also noted that Morocco has worked to apply the principles of open government by adopting a participatory approach to elaborate the New Development Model (NDM), which makes citizens’ participation one of the pillars in implementing public policies.
On the sidelines of the summit, Morocco, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Kenya, South Africa, and Tunisia participated in the launch of the African Open Government Network in which a digital platform dedicated to the aforementioned network has also been set up.
The digital platform is a tool that provides all the information on successful experiences in the field of “open government” that aims to increase transparency and democratic agency, allowing participating members to exchange experiences and benefit from best practices in the field.
In this regard, Morocco expressed its readiness to share its experience with other African countries, aiming to sharpen the principles of open government and address common challenges.
The Summit was an opportunity to reflect on the progress of the Open Government Partnership Initiative, present a vision for the future and share experiences, expertise and best practices to strengthen citizens’ engagement, integrity and digital innovation.
Morocco was elected as a member of the OGP Steering Committee for a three-year term starting on October 1 alongside the UK, the Republic of Korea, Estonia and Nigeria.
The committee has 22 members, including representatives of governments and civil society organizations from OGP member countries as well as representatives of the OGP Executive Body.
The OGP Global Summit aims to strengthen civic space and public participation, tackle corruption, and promote inclusive digital innovation.
Read Also: CNDH Discusses Approaches to Achieve Equality, Boost Women’s Participation
