Parliament Strengthens Engagement with Civil Society to Advance Ghana’s Open Government Partnership Commitments
Parliament of Ghana has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing transparency, accountability, and citizen participation through strengthened collaboration with civil society under the Open Government Partnership (OGP) framework.
This came to the fore during the Quarterly Civil Society–Parliament Engagement, which brought together Members of Parliament, governance experts, and civil society organizations to review Ghana’s progress on its OGP commitments and discuss priority reforms under the current 5th National Action Plan (NAP-5).
The engagement was organized by the Transparency International Ghana in collaboration with OGP Ghana Office and the Citizens’ Bureau of Parliament. This brought together members of the OGP Parliamentary Caucus, the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, and the media to dialogue on key governance reforms and strengthen the partnership between Parliament and Civil Society actors working to promote open governance in Ghana.
Ms. Mary Addah the Co-Chair of OGP Ghana National Steering Committee and Executive Director of Transparency International Ghana explained that the Quarterly Civil Society–Parliament Engagement forms part of ongoing efforts to deepen Ghana’s participation in the Open Government Partnership by fostering inclusive dialogue, strengthening institutional capacity, and promoting greater openness in governance.
The Chairman of the Parliamentary OGP Caucus, Hon. Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, underscored the importance of Parliament’s role in advancing the principles of open government. According to him, the Open Government Partnership focuses on four key pillars: transparency, accountability, citizen participation, and the use of technology to enhance governance.
Mr. Bedzrah noted that Parliament plays a critical role in supporting the implementation of Ghana’s OGP commitments, particularly through legislative oversight and the passage of laws that promote transparency and strengthen anti-corruption measures.
He further explained that the Parliamentary OGP Caucus serves as a bipartisan platform for Members of Parliament to monitor the implementation of OGP commitments and champion the advancement of open parliament initiatives.
The engagement also served as an orientation and refresher for members of the Caucus, especially following the 2024 general elections, which resulted in the election of new Members of Parliament and changes in the composition of the Caucus.
Participants discussed a range of priority reform areas linked to Ghana’s 5th National Action Plan (NAP-5) commitments, including Asset Declaration, the Conduct of Public Officers Bill, Open Procurement systems through digital platforms, transparency in the oil and gas sector, and improved public access to government information.
Stakeholders emphasized the importance of sustained collaboration between Parliament and civil society to ensure the successful implementation of these reforms and to strengthen democratic governance in Ghana.
Mrs. Thelma Ohene Asiamah the Point of Contact Point, OGP Ghana explained that, Ghana is currently undergoing consultation as Part of the Mid-Term Review of the NAP-5 Commitments to assess progress and develop new strategies for implementation. She urged both Civil-Society and Parliament to support government efforts to make the public sector more transparent and accessible to citizens.