IMPLEMENTATION REPORT (OCTOBER 2021-OCTOBER 2022) ON THE PRIORITY AREA: TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, PROACTIVITY, AND INCLUSIVENESS FROM NAP 5 ON OPEN GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP

According to the Report on the implementation of the priority area: Transparency, Accountability, Proactivity, and Inclusiveness October 2021 – October 2022 of the 5th National Action Plan for Partnership for Open Government, the greatest improvement or advancement was observed in the publication of data on civil society organizations, as well as in the part of the publication of public information by the institutions.

As many as 92% of the institutions as holders of public information submit reports to the Agency for Free Access to Public Information, which, in turn, integrates them into its own reports. These two initiatives are rated as “star initiatives” in this priority area.

The author of the Report highlights the active work of the Agency as an institution that is particularly dedicated to the realization of the commitment that is part of NAP 5. The commitment includes intensified efforts by the Agency to improve active transparency among the holders of information, and although the implementation of this commitment may be defined as completed, it is a process that will take place continuously until the end of the implemented NAP 5 and beyond.

It is expected that by realizing the commitment, there will be an increase in the availability of information from the institutions to the citizens, which means that, on the one hand, the pressure on the institutions will be reduced by submitting requests for free access to public information, but on the other hand, effective participation of citizens in the creation of policies was enabled, as well as improvement of the quality of services and information that citizens receive from the holders of information.

Furthermore, the report emphasizes that the openness of the Agency’s cooperation with civil society organizations, as well as the joint work in the creation and implementation of the commitment, directly contributes to its successful implementation. The agency continues to remain open to cooperation with civil society organizations, both in relation to the next action plan for OGP and in promoting active transparency as a goal to fulfill the constitutionally guaranteed right of access to information by providing the services of information holders in a fast and a simple way.

At the same time, the holders of information receive the necessary legitimacy because they demonstrate responsibility in their work and thus restore the trust of citizens in the institutions.