Middle East and North Africa - Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI) : support to open government reforms (English)

The Arab Spring launched a period of transition within the MNA region, which has allowed some governments to initiate reforms aimed at enhancing openness within the public sector. As governments in the Southern Mediterranean start to build new democratic... See More + The Arab Spring launched a period of transition within the MNA region, which has allowed some governments to initiate reforms aimed at enhancing openness within the public sector. As governments in the Southern Mediterranean start to build new democratic foundations for their countries, citizens are demanding more openness in government. They are calling for greater civic participation in public affairs, and seeking ways to make their governments more transparent, responsive, accountable, and effective. The current political transitions offer a unique opportunity to address these challenges, to which the Bank is responding. Building on this opportunity, the Public Sector Reform Unit in MNA (MNSPS) and the Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI) have developed an ‘Open Government Initiatives’ program. The program aims to support open government reforms that promote greater transparency and accountability of government operations, and enhance the delivery of public sector services. In particular, support will focus on issues of importance in the transitional phase. The basis for the support will be just-in-time technical assistance based on the priorities identified by key government and CSO counterparts. Activities will support and complement programs already underway through the Bank and other development agencies. Support will be targeted to members of the CMI (Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon), Libya and West Bank & Gaza, with particular focus on countries under transition. The program will be implemented in a manner to maximize cooperation with other international organizations. In particular, activities will be coordinated with the OECD-MENA Working Group on Open and Innovative Government, of which MNA governments are members, and with the OECD benchmarking of open government reforms, based on the criteria of the Open Government Partnership, in Jordan, Tunisia and Morocco. Additional cooperation is envisioned with the Council of Europe, the Basel Institute on Governance and the Open Society Institute. Efforts will be made to collaborate with GIZ and France, which are respectively partner and member of CMI. Civil society organizations will also play a role, both in terms of development and implementation of activities.  See Less -