Benin is preparing its first National Action Plan for an open government.

Representatives from the public administration, Republic institutions, civil society, the private sector, technical and financial partners, and the media participated in this five-day meeting. The goal was to familiarize stakeholders with OGP requirements and prepare a co-creation approach for Benin’s future commitments.

At the opening of the proceedings, Victorin Honvoh, chief of staff of the Ministry of Budget and Public Service, presented the OGP membership as a continuation of the reforms initiated by the government. He cited priorities such as transparency, accountability, access to information, the fight against corruption, and citizen participation.

According to him, the success of the process will depend on regular dialogue between administrations and non-state actors. He urged participants to make concrete proposals and to embrace the principles of open governance.

For Mireille Hortense Codjovi, director of the Open Budget Pole and national focal point for the OGP, the workshop constitutes a preparatory step before launching citizen consultations in the twelve departments of Benin.

These consultations should allow for the collection of the population’s priorities. The contributions will then be analyzed, prioritized, and integrated into the first draft of the National Action Plan, she explained.

The process benefits from the support of several partners, notably the PAGOF2 program from Expertise France, GIZ, Swiss Cooperation, UNICEF, and the European Union.

Transforming Achievements into Specific Commitments

Jean-Pierre Degue, vice-president of the OGP Technical Committee, reminded that the partnership brings together states wishing to strengthen transparency in public action, citizen participation, and institutional accountability.

He also emphasized that Benin already has achievements in budget transparency and citizen participation, while stating that the challenge now is to translate them into measurable commitments under the OGP.

International expert Gustavo Pérez Ara presented the standards of the partnership and stressed its three main pillars: citizen participation, transparency, and accountability. He deemed the existing dialogue between the administration and civil society as a support point for the continuation of the process.

Chaired by Chabi Kassim Taba, advisor to the Court of Auditors, the discussions allowed participants to examine how to integrate open government principles into the practices of public institutions.

The recommendations arising from the workshop, complemented by the results of departmental consultations, will serve as the basis for drafting Benin’s first National Action Plan under the OGP.