On 6th and 7th September 2023, the city of Tallinn in Estonia, hosted the 8th Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit. OGP brings together governments and civil society organisations to promote transparent, participatory, inclusive and accountable governance. This year’s event was attended by over 70 countries and 100 sub-national governments. Ivor Chipkin attended on behalf of the New South Institute. The Minister of Public Service and Administration, Noxolo Kiviet, represented the South African government. There were large delegations from Nigeria, both federal and state governments, as well as from Kenya and Malawi. The President of Malawi addressed the plenary, as did the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas opened the event.

During the summit, several speakers highlighted progress in improving government transparency, including efforts to publish beneficial ownership registries to reduce opportunities for corruption. US Congresswoman Jackie Spier and Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa discussed steps to make militaries more accountable.

Ivor Chipkin’s presence at the summit demonstrated the New South Institute’s alignment with the objectives of the OGP, emphasizing actionable strategies over empty dialogues. He highlighted the need for open government initiatives that focus on practical delivery, as stressed by Samantha Power of USAID, thereby addressing the vulnerabilities in current democratic setups.

The detailed schedule and the list of speakers can be found on the official website: OGP Estonia 2023. Moreover, the recordings of these crucial discussions are accessible on the Open Government Partnership’s official YouTube channel, providing an opportunity to delve deep into the wealth of knowledge and collaborations fostered during the summit.