Benin drafts first open government action plan

Eighteen months after joining the Open Government Partnership (OGP), Benin hosted a five-day national workshop in Cotonou to lay the groundwork for the country’s inaugural National Action Plan. Bringing together public officials, civil society representatives, private sector actors, technical partners and media professionals, the event focused on embedding the principles of open governance into a concrete framework.

Co-creating a transparent governance framework

The workshop served as a collaborative platform for participants to deepen their understanding of OGP standards and co-design the commitments that will define Benin’s first National Action Plan. This participatory approach aims to translate existing governance improvements—such as budget transparency and citizen participation—into measurable, time-bound commitments.

Key priorities and stakeholder commitments

Victorin Honvoh, cabinet director at the Ministry of Budget and Public Service, opened the session by framing Benin’s OGP membership as a natural extension of ongoing reforms. He highlighted transparency, accountability, access to information, anti-corruption measures and civic engagement as core priorities. Honvoh stressed that the success of this initiative hinges on sustained dialogue between government bodies and non-state actors, urging participants to contribute actionable proposals.

Mireille Hortense Codjovi, National OGP Focal Point and Open Budget Lead, emphasized the workshop’s role in preparing for nationwide consultations across Benin’s twelve departments. These consultations will gather community priorities, which will then be analyzed, prioritized and incorporated into the draft National Action Plan.

From principles to measurable commitments

Jean-Pierre Degue, Vice President of the OGP Technical Committee, reinforced the partnership’s mission: to enhance public transparency, citizen participation and institutional accountability. While acknowledging Benin’s existing progress in these areas, he underscored the need to formalize these gains into specific, verifiable commitments under the OGP framework.

International expert Gustavo Pérez Ara outlined the OGP’s three foundational pillars—citizen participation, transparency and accountability—and praised Benin’s existing dialogue between administration and civil society as a strong foundation for the road ahead. Chabi Kassim Taba, advisor to the Audit Court, chaired the sessions, guiding participants through the practical integration of open governance principles into public institutions.

Next steps: consultations and plan finalization

The insights gathered from the workshop, combined with input from departmental consultations, will shape the first draft of Benin’s National Action Plan. Technical support for this process is provided by partners including Expertise France’s PAGOF2 program, GIZ, Swiss Cooperation, UNICEF and the European Union.