Benin launches historic open government action plan

Nearly 18 months after joining the Open Government Partnership (OGP), Benin has taken a decisive step forward by organizing a five-day national workshop in Cotonou from July 27 to 31. The event brought together government officials, civil society representatives, private sector actors, technical and financial partners, and media professionals to lay the groundwork for the country’s first-ever National Action Plan.

Forging concrete commitments from collaborative dialogue

The intensive workshop aimed to deepen participants’ understanding of OGP principles while fostering a co-creation process for Benin’s inaugural action plan. Victorin Honvoh, Director of Cabinet at the Ministry of Budget and Public Service, emphasized that the partnership represents a natural evolution of ongoing reforms focused on transparency, accountability, information access, anti-corruption efforts, and civic participation.

Honvoh stressed that the initiative’s success hinges on sustained collaboration between government agencies and non-state actors, urging participants to develop actionable proposals and fully embrace open governance principles.

Laying the groundwork for nationwide citizen consultations

Mireille Hortense Codjovi, Director of the Open Budget Unit and National OGP Focal Point, highlighted the workshop as a preparatory milestone before launching consultations across Benin’s 12 departments. She explained that these grassroots discussions will identify community priorities, with input to be systematically analyzed, prioritized, and integrated into the first draft of the National Action Plan.

The initiative has garnered support from key international partners including Expertise France’s PAGOF2 program, GIZ, Swiss Cooperation, UNICEF, and the European Union, demonstrating strong cross-sectoral commitment to the process.

Translating existing achievements into measurable commitments

Jean-Pierre Degue, Vice President of the OGP Technical Committee, noted that Benin already boasts significant progress in budget transparency and civic engagement. The challenge now, he said, is to convert these accomplishments into quantifiable commitments within the OGP framework.

International expert Gustavo Pérez Ara reinforced this perspective, outlining the partnership’s three core pillars—citizen participation, transparency, and accountability—while praising Benin’s existing administrative dialogue with civil society as a solid foundation for future progress.

Under the guidance of Chabi Kassim Taba, Advisor to the Court of Auditors, participants examined practical mechanisms to embed open governance principles within public institutions. The workshop’s recommendations, combined with departmental consultation findings, will form the backbone of Benin’s first National Action Plan under the OGP.