Benin launches first national open government action plan
Eighteen months after joining the Open Government Partnership (OGP), Benin held a five-day national workshop in Cotonou at the end of July 2026 to deepen understanding of open governance principles. The event marked a key step toward finalizing the country’s inaugural National Action Plan under the initiative.
Building consensus on open governance priorities
The workshop brought together civil servants, representatives from constitutional institutions, private sector leaders, technical and financial partners, media professionals, and civil society organizations. Participants worked to align their understanding of OGP requirements and co-create the framework for Benin’s first action plan.
At the opening session, Victorin Honvoh, cabinet director at the Ministry of Budget and Public Service, framed the OGP membership as a natural extension of ongoing public sector reforms. He highlighted transparency, accountability, information access, anti-corruption efforts, and citizen participation as central pillars of the process. “The success of this initiative hinges on sustained dialogue between government agencies and non-state actors,” Honvoh noted. He urged participants to develop concrete proposals and embrace the principles of open governance.
From consultation to commitment: a citizen-centered approach
Mireille Hortense Codjovi, Director of the Open Budget Unit and OGP National Focal Point, emphasized that the workshop served as a preparatory phase before nationwide consultations across Benin’s twelve departments. These consultations aim to capture public priorities, which will be analyzed, ranked, and incorporated into the draft National Action Plan. “This inclusive process ensures the plan reflects the real needs of Benin’s citizens,” Codjovi explained.
The initiative receives support from multiple partners including the PAGOF2 program through Expertise France, GIZ, Swiss Cooperation, UNICEF, and the European Union.
Translating progress into measurable commitments
Jean-Pierre Degue, Vice-President of the OGP Technical Committee, reiterated that the partnership unites states committed to strengthening public transparency, citizen engagement, and institutional accountability. He acknowledged Benin’s existing progress in budget transparency and civic participation but stressed the need to convert these gains into quantifiable OGP commitments.
International expert Gustavo Pérez Ara outlined the partnership’s core standards, identifying citizen participation, transparency, and accountability as its three foundational pillars. He praised the existing collaboration between government and civil society as a strong foundation for moving forward.
Under the guidance of Chabi Kassim Taba, advisor to the Court of Audit, participants examined strategies to embed open governance principles into public institutions’ daily operations. Recommendations from the workshop, combined with insights from departmental consultations, will shape the final draft of Benin’s first OGP National Action Plan.
