A one-day IDM conference was held in Tirana on 5 December 2013, which brought together representatives of NGOs and officials to discuss the status of open government in Albania.
The conference was held in connection with Advocacy for Open Government: Civil society agenda-setting and monitoring of country action plan, an EU-funded PASOS project to encourage governments in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia to become more transparent.
Present at the conference were Milena Harito, Albanian Minister of State for Innovation and Public Administration, Paul Maassen, OGP Civil Society Coordinator, and other representatives of civil society organizations and public administration institutions.
This conference came at a key moment within the framework of political changes in the country and within the technical engagement of Albania to prepare and deliver a second OGP action plan for 2014-2015.
OGP is a multilateral initiative that aims to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption and harness new technologies to strengthen governance. To become a member of the OGP, participating countries must embrace a high level Open Government Declaration; deliver a country Action Plan developed with public consultation; and commit to independent reporting on their progress. Currently, 60 countries have joined the OGP, including Albania.
