The OGP Steering Committee at its meeting in July 2015 noted as "particularly concerning" Australia's failure to follow through with its membership application lodged in May 2013 and "agreed on next steps and a deadline for Australia
to recommit to OGP by the time of the Global Summit."
The Global Summit will be held in Mexico City 27-29 October.
The only public response to date to the Steering Committee request was this answer (from the Department of Finance) to a question on 8 September:
So will the Turnbull government:
The Global Summit will be held in Mexico City 27-29 October.
The only public response to date to the Steering Committee request was this answer (from the Department of Finance) to a question on 8 September:
As has been stated publicly previously, the Government is positively inclined towards finalising its membership of the Open Government Partnership but is still considering its position. Once the decision is made, it will be conveyed to the OGP.It's a matter for the busy Prime Minister of course - the last one was responsible for much of the dithering - although there is uncertainty whether Finance or the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet now has carriage of such matters.
So will the Turnbull government:
- let the deadline quietly pass?
- ask for even more time to decide, continuing four years of foot dragging?
- join Russia as the only country to date to say it was joining only to withdraw?
- recommit to membership before 27 October, thereby expressing intent to explore with civil society, domestic reforms across the transparency, accountability and citizen participation spectrum; link up with the world leaders in advancing digital and open government and the use of open data; and through active engagement with current and aspiring members, promote our foreign policy and development goals ( including making a connection with the Sustainable Development Goals) particularly in the Asia Pacific region? Will we sign on with: (Update) Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malawi, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovak Republic, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay. Check out where each stands with their plans and commitments here:
Uruguay
A commitment to the OGP will lack credibility if the government at the same time continues with the pointless attempt to abolish the Office of Australian Information Commissioner.
A commitment to the OGP will lack credibility if the government at the same time continues with the pointless attempt to abolish the Office of Australian Information Commissioner.
Great news - we must move forward on this for more open government.
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