Dar es Salaam. The co-chairs of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), which include the Executive Director of Twaweza East Africa Mr Aidan Eyakuze, has “unequivocally” condemned the “unjustified and unprovoked” Russian attack on Ukraine, urging all of the open government community to do the same, “strongly and in the swiftest terms.”
The war in Ukraine has entered its sixth day since Russia launched a large-scale invasion of its neighbour on February 24, 2022.
Russian President Vladimir Putin orchestrated the attack under the pretext of “maintaining peace” in the Donbas area days after recognizing the independence of two separatist “republics” of Luhansk and Donetsk against the background of global condemnations coupled with sanctions from a number of Western countries.
In their statement on Tuesday, the co-chairs of the OGP, which include governments of Italy and Estonia as well as the director of an Uruguayan NGO Instituto de Comunicación y Desarrollo (ICD) Anabel Cruz, said:
“Reformers in and out of government in Ukraine have repeatedly displayed courage and resilience in the face of coercion and threats. We stand in solidarity with them and all Ukrainians now as they face an invasion intended to quell their hopes, replace those who lead their open, democratic institutions and unravel all the work done to make Ukrainian democracy work better for its citizens.”
The OGP is a multilateral initiative that works around securing commitments from national governments to promote open government, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance.
As a member of the initiative, Ukraine has taken bold steps to strengthen its democracy and modernize its country, the co-chairs write.
“Model reforms have been implemented in public procurement, beneficial ownership transparency, and sale of public assets,” their statement reads in part. “This work has been built on a robust partnership between government, civil society, and media. It has set an example that many in OGP strive to follow in their own efforts.”
