Lanka faces risk of expulsion from OGP; govt urged to act

ECONOMYNEXT - Sri Lanka is facing an expulsion from Open Government Partnership (OPG) after the failure of previous governments to submit a National Action Plan for three consecutive years (2021-2023), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) said.

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The OGP is a vital multi-stakeholder platform aimed at fostering transparent, inclusive, and accountable governance through citizen participation in public matters.

Over 70 countries and thousands of civil society organizations globally are members of the OGP. Member countries are required to co-create a two-year National Action Plan through a multi-stakeholder process to implement governance reforms in collaboration with civil society.

Since joining the OGP in 2015, Sri Lanka has submitted two such Action Plans — both co-created with Civil Society Organizations — though both faced significant implementation challenges.

The OGP Steering Committee passed a resolution on 10 May 2024 designating Sri Lanka as “inactive.”

“To regain active status, Sri Lanka must submit an Action Plan that meets OGP’s Participation and Co-Creation Standards within one year. Failing this, Sri Lanka faces automatic withdrawal from OGP membership effective 10 May 2025,” the co-conveners of the CSOs of the OGP process said.

The Open Government Partnership (OGP) offers significant benefits for a country like Sri Lanka, especially as it seeks to rebuild public trust, improve governance, and strengthen democratic institutions after years of political and economic instability.