Open Letter to the Special Envoy on Open Government Partnership

An open letter from a coalition of civil society organisations to South Africa's Special Envoy on the Open Government Partnership (OGP), expressing dissatisfaction with the government's implementation of OGP goals and demanding the establishment of a permanent Multi-Stakeholder Public Dialogue Mechanism.

• The signatories express deep dissatisfaction with the South African government's coordination and implementation of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), noting that while some sector departments have implemented strategies, the overall progress is patchy.
• Since the OGP's inception in 2011, South Africa has failed to establish a permanent Multi-Stakeholder Public Dialogue Mechanism. Existing attempts to include civil society have been described as ad hoc, tentative, and insufficiently inclusive, which the authors argue undermines accountability and the principle of partnership.
• The authors report a narrowing of democratic space in South Africa, citing a trend of government denying requests for access to information, increasing surveillance of civil society and activists, and using rhetoric that labels civil society organisations as "agents of foreign interests".
• The coalition demands the immediate creation of a permanent, multi-stakeholder dialogue Mechanism that meets at least quarterly, includes at least 12 civil society members representing 8 commitment areas, and includes representatives from all government departments mentioned in the National Action Plan.
• The signatories set specific deadlines for government action: a response from Special Envoy Ayanda Dlodlo by 25 May 2016 and details of the first Permanent Mechanism meeting by 10 June 2016. Failure to comply may lead to action under the OGP's Articles of Governance and Rapid Response Policy.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2016). Open Letter to the Special Envoy on Open Government Partnership. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Final-OGP-Statement.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. Open Letter to the Special Envoy on Open Government Partnership. 2016. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Final-OGP-Statement.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=Open Letter to the Special Envoy on Open Government Partnership |date=4 May 2016 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Final-OGP-Statement.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2016open, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{Open Letter to the Special Envoy on Open Government Partnership}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2016}, month = may, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Final-OGP-Statement.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }