Khmelnytskyi City Council initiated the establishment of a Coordination Council to implement the Open Government Initiative at the local level. This advisory body is supposed to provide cooperation and support for the successful implementation of open government principles in the community.

The Association of Ukrainian Cities website reports.

In 2020, with the support of the Association of Ukrainian Cities and experts, Khmelnytskyi was selected among 110 cities from around the world to participate in the international Open Government Partnership (OGP). As part of this partnership, the city began to implement its first local Action Plan in 2021, which lasted until 2022. This work has resulted in the city’s development of open governance at the local level.

As part of the implementation of its first plan, the Khmelnytskyi community:

• digitalised the services of the Administrative Service Centre;
• created a geoportal with 83 open data registers;
• added a module for digitising and mapping green spaces on an online map;
• developed and launched the Green City Action Plan;
• opened the Gufy-Centre, a waste management educational facility.

These initiatives resulted in the first place in the international competition for projects on innovation and impact at the local level (Local Innovation Award).

The tasks of the newly created Coordination Council are:

• to coordinate activities for the implementation of the Open Government Initiative;
• to engage civil society organisations in the initiative;
• to analyse the state of implementation of the Action Plan;
• to cooperate with international organisations supporting the implementation of the Initiative.

The Council consists of representatives from the executive bodies of the city council, enterprises, institutions and public organisations. It will be headed by co-chairs elected from the executive authorities and the public.

The Khmelnytskyi urban community is actively preparing for the implementation of the second OGP Local Action Plan for 2025–2026, continuing to strengthen the principles of transparency and community participation in decision-making processes.

The Association of Ukrainian Cities, jointly with OGP Local and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, supports local governments in Ukraine that seek to achieve greater transparency, accountability and engagement with civil society, and promotes the sharing of experiences to improve the efficiency of governance processes at the local level.

For more information

The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is an international initiative designed to promote transparency, accountability and citizen participation in governance. It was launched in 2011 and brings together countries and local governments that are committed to implementing specific reforms to open up and improve public engagement.

The initiative currently involves more than 78 countries and thousands of local governments around the world, including Ukraine.

Why this initiative is important:

• It promotes transparency in the activities of the authorities, which helps to reduce corruption.
• It involves citizens in the decision-making process and improves interaction between the public and the authorities.
• It helps to develop e-governance mechanisms and provide citizens with access to important data.

How to join the initiative: Local governments can become part of the OGP by signing a commitment to openness and implementing reforms at the local level. This also envisages the development of local Action Plans that outline specific measures to implement the principles of open government.

The Open Government Initiative is an important tool for developing democracy, improving governance processes and promoting citizen participation in decision-making.