TI BiH and Coalition of NGOs Take First Step in the Action Planning Process

For more than two years, Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) has been actively involved in advocacy and education of authorities and civil society about the Open Government Partnership. TI BiH, in cooperation with the partnership organizations, gave a concrete contribution to the accession of BiH to the Partnership. The conference, entitled ‘The Action Plan of BiH within the Framework of The Open Government Partnership’, which was held on Monday, 18^th May 2015, with the beginning at 10.30 a.m. at the Hotel Europa in Sarajevo, represents just a continuation of the influence of TI BiH on the work of the institutions and society in general, with the aim of creating more transparent and accountable government. On this occasion, the representatives of TI BiH and the Center for Social Research- Analitika presented the processes and principles of developing of the action plan, as well as the experiences of the countries in the region which have started implementing the action plan. It was emphasized that there are some good examples of the application of the Principles advocated by Partnership in BiH, which need to be promoted and used in this process as an encouragement and motivation to other institutions. Good practice of particular institutions in BiH and the region need to be a guide in the process of opening government, which is why we have to count on more active cooperation of the institutions at all levels of the governments in BiH.

One of the leading institutions involved in the activities related to BiH’s membership in the Partnership is the Ministry of Justice of BiH. Its representative presented in his address to conference patricians the current and planned steps in developing and adoption the Action Plan of BiH, and he noted that formation of coordination or advisory body for development and implementation of the Action Plan for Open Government Partnership is yet to come. It was emphasized that the course of actions that led BiH to its membership to the Partnership resulted in good cooperation between the institutions and non-governmental sector, and it was expressed desire for continuation of the cooperation with the aim of developing the best possible action plan as one of a strategic document of BiH. Also, all civil society organizations, the media and academic community were urged to give their contribution and thus enable civil participation through the process of developing the action plan.

Yesterday, a coalition of non-governmental organizations gathered around this initiative (TI BiH, Centre for Public Interest Advocacy – CPI Foundation, the Center for Social Research- Analitika, Why Not, the Center for Investigative Reporting – CIN) presented more than 15 proposed measures that could be included in the Action Plan of BiH. Those measures will be presented to the coordinating body when it has been formed. The next step of BiH, in which Transparency International BiH will also participate actively, is to organize a number of new consultations with the aim of defining the detailed content of the Action Plan.