By Alberta Asanewa Dwirah
Parliament and civil society organisations have intensified collaboration to promote transparency, accountability and citizen participation in governance under the Open Government Partnership (OGP).
The engagement, held as part of a Quarterly Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Parliamentary Engagement, brought together Members of Parliament, governance experts and civil society groups to discuss Ghana’s commitments under the OGP framework and explore ways to strengthen anti-corruption reforms.
Ghana’s Parliament has remained committed to the Open Government Partnership since the country joined the global initiative in 2011. As part of this commitment, the Speaker of Parliament established the OGP Caucus, a bipartisan group of Members of Parliament mandated to oversee the implementation of national OGP commitments.
The caucus is responsible for ensuring oversight of the National OGP Action Plans, advocating for the passage of laws captured under the action plans, promoting Open Parliament initiatives and facilitating dialogue on open governance reforms.
The engagement was organised by Transparency International Ghana (TI-Ghana) in partnership with the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) and the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) in collaboration with the Citizens’ Bureau/Public Affairs Department of Parliament and the OGP Caucus.
The programme focused on Ghana’s Open Government Partnership National Action Plan Five (NAP5) and how its commitments intersect with broader anti-corruption reforms aimed at strengthening the country’s integrity systems.
According to organisers, the capacity-building programme became necessary following changes in Parliament after the 2024 general elections, which saw some members of the 8th Parliament who served on the caucus leave the House while new Members of Parliament joined.
The orientation and refresher training were therefore designed to strengthen the capacity of the caucus to effectively carry out its mandate and sustain Parliament’s commitment to the OGP agenda.
Speaking at the engagement, Chair of the OGP Caucus, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, explained that the Open Government Partnership is a collaboration between governments and civil society organisations aimed at making governance more open and inclusive.
“OGP is simply the Open Government Partnership, a collaboration between civil society organisations and government to open up government itself,” he said.
He noted that the partnership is built on four key pillars: transparency, accountability, citizen participation and the use of technology to improve governance.
“If you have citizens participating in governance, if you have accountability to the people and citizens know exactly what goes on in government, that is what we are looking for, and that is what every democratic government is about,” he added.
Mr. Bedzrah said the OGP Caucus works with civil society organisations to monitor the implementation of commitments outlined in Ghana’s National Action Plan Five.
He also emphasised the role of Parliament in supporting legislation linked to the OGP agenda.
“Any bill or legislation proposed under the National Action Plan, it is our duty and mandate to make sure those bills are passed,” he said.
He further highlighted Parliament’s role in combating corruption, noting that some members are also part of the African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC).
“We all know corruption is endemic and we are doing everything in our power as Members of Parliament to make sure we fight it,” he stated.
He revealed that government is currently working on the National Action Plan Two (NAP2) on Anti-Corruption, which will soon be presented to Parliament to guide anti-corruption efforts across public institutions.
According to him, initiatives such as open procurement systems, where procurement processes are digitised and accessible to the public, are critical to reducing corruption.
“Procurement processes will be registered and put through the IT system for people to know what goes on. These are the things we are pushing for to ensure corruption is curtailed,” he said.
Executive Director of Transparency International Ghana, Mary Addah, said the engagement forms part of an Anti-Corruption Programme supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
“The programme looks at various elements of the fight against corruption in Ghana, and one of the key areas is how Parliament can open up more and play its oversight role more effectively,” she explained.
She added that the initiative seeks to create platforms for sustained dialogue between Parliament and civil society on issues that affect citizens.
“This engagement is to ensure that we bring stakeholders together regularly to discuss issues of national concern and ensure citizens’ voices are featured in governance processes,” she said.
According to her, the engagement also aims to help members of the OGP Caucus understand Ghana’s commitments under the current action plan and strengthen collaboration with civil society.
She emphasised that transparency reforms are critical to tackling corruption in key sectors of the economy.
“Oversight is a key area when we talk about corruption. That is why issues such as asset declaration, the Conduct of Public Officers Bill, procurement reforms and transparency in the oil and gas value chain are so important,” she said.
She further highlighted the role of technology in promoting open governance and citizen participation.
“OGP also talks about ensuring that we use technology so citizens can access information and know what is happening within government systems,” she added.
According to her, Ghana currently has seven local OGP initiatives aimed at promoting open governance practices at the district level.
She noted that these local initiatives are expected to support other assemblies in adopting open government principles and expanding citizen participation in governance across the country.
