Benin launches historic plan for open government transparency

Eighteen months after joining the Open Government Partnership (OGP), Benin convened a five-day national workshop in Cotonou from July 27 to July 31, 2026. The gathering brought together government officials, civil society representatives, private sector actors, technical partners, financial backers, and media professionals to lay the groundwork for the country’s first-ever National Action Plan for Open Government.

Building consensus on transparency and accountability

During the opening session, Victorin Honvoh, Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Budget and Public Service, emphasized that Benin’s OGP membership represents a natural evolution of ongoing government reforms. He highlighted key priorities including transparency, accountability, access to information, corruption prevention, and citizen participation as cornerstones of the initiative.

Honvoh stressed that the success of this process hinges on fostering continuous collaboration between public administrations and non-state stakeholders. He urged participants to develop concrete proposals that align with the principles of open governance.

Consulting citizens across all departments

Mireille Hortense Codjovi, Head of the Open Budget Unit and National OGP Focal Point, explained that the workshop served as a preparatory phase before nationwide consultations across Benin’s twelve departments. These discussions aim to gather public priorities that will shape the first draft of the National Action Plan.

The resulting contributions will be analyzed, ranked, and integrated into the initial proposal. The process has received support from multiple partners including the PAGOF2 program by Expertise France, GIZ, Swiss Cooperation, UNICEF, and the European Union.

Translating existing progress into measurable commitments

Jean-Pierre Degue, Vice President of the OGP Technical Committee, noted that Benin already boasts significant achievements in budget transparency and citizen participation. The current challenge, he said, lies in converting these gains into quantifiable OGP commitments.

Gustavo Pérez Ara, an international expert, outlined the partnership’s core standards, emphasizing three pillars: citizen participation, transparency, and accountability. He praised the existing dialogue between administration and civil society as a solid foundation for future progress.

The workshop, led by Chabi Kassim Taba, Advisor to the Court of Auditors, enabled participants to explore strategies for embedding open government principles into public institutions’ daily operations.

The recommendations emerging from the event, combined with insights from departmental consultations, will form the basis of Benin’s inaugural National Action Plan under the OGP framework.