Srzentić: Open government community can and must do better

Minister of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media Tamara Srzentić participated in the 2021 Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit in Seoul. The Summit is being held virtually from 15 to 17 December 2021.

We publish Minister Srzentić’s statement in its entirety.

Future of democracy depends on us, the functional governments, independent media technology that leaves no one behind, respecting the rule of law and most importantly, being responsive to the needs of people we serve.

I am proud of our teams and the effort we put in this year to launch new commitments to expand and broaden our open government efforts. The mission of our ministry is to provide a space to engage people from all walks of Montenegro. How might we built a government for all that propels equity, opportunity, justice and freedom in our Policy Design Lab? We are creating the space to listen and learn, but also to propel the crown of hands and co-design better and more people centered policies, programs and services that work and address the real problems of the people of Montenegro.

With the new National action plan, we are setting a bold agenda and raising a bar on how we deliver a more inclusive, open and responsive government. We are working to open up and share more data with the civil society and entrepreneurs so they can pursue the new innovations and businesses that create jobs. We are also working to modernize our Free Access to Information Policy and governance process so that it’s easier for people to request access and use data and information that address some of the stickiest challenges.

We are also committed to collaborating more closely with the private sector and the best minds of our country so that when we design digital services, they’re accessible, simple to use, provide answers to key questions and better serve the public. And because we know the education is the cornerstone of progress. If we want good governance, we need an educated and informed society. Our efforts are aimed at helping people across Montenegro and especially students to access online educational tools and resources.

Open government community can and must do better. We look forward to contributing to this growing community by sharing our lessons learned, challenging ourselves and others through actions, and raising a bar on how we deliver a more open and responsive government for all, said Minister Srzentić.

In 2011, government leaders and civil society advocates came together to create a unique partnership — one that combines these powerful forces to promote transparent, participatory, inclusive and accountable governance. 78 countries and 76 local governments — representing more than two billion people — along with thousands of civil society organizations are members of the Open Government Partnership (OGP).