Government of Jamaica Commits to Open Governance

The Government of Jamaica has committed to partner with stakeholders from the Jamaican civil society to formulate a national action plan to promote open governance and encourage transparency and accountability in its governance practices. This initiative is a part of its commitment to the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a forum of countries working to be more open, accountable, and responsive to citizens.

In an important step in this process, the Government and civil society are establishing a Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF), with equal numbers of government and civil society members, to oversee the development of Jamaica’s first National Action Plan under the OGP, with commitments that will be implemented over the next two years to advance the values of access to information, civic participation and public accountability. The launch of the MSF signals the commencement of the co-creation of the National Action Plan through collaboration between the government and civil society.

The benefits of enhanced open governance to the citizens and residents of Jamaica include:

• Better access to information on the performance of government ministries and agencies and matters of public interest;
• Greater transparency on the allocation and expenditure of public resources;
• Strengthened mechanisms to detect and address corruption in the administration of government and public bodies;
• Enhanced ability to hold government and public officials accountable for the efficient and effective use of public resources and the achievement of targeted results;
• Greater opportunities for citizens to participate in the determination of government priorities and the monitoring of outcomes.