By Joseph Kamanda, African Pride Irene Country Lodge, Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Steering Committee on governance has Wednesday 23rd July 2015 called on Khadija Sesay, Sierra Leone’s OGP Director to serve as a member of the committee.
Khadija was called to the committee during an OGP Working Level Steering Committee Meeting at the African Pride Irene Country Lodge, Johannesburg South Africa.
The global acknowledgement came in recognition of concerted efforts being made by the OGP secretariat in the implementation of its country’s development agendas.
The Acting Director of OGP at the Department of Public Service and Administration, South Africa, Mabaeng Dlamini described Sierra Leone among GOP countries as a shining example in Africa, noting that the issues being outlined have already been undertaken by Sierra Leone.
Dlamini said the Working Level Steering Committee Meeting was conveyed to enhance further multilateral cooperation and experience sharing for synergies among OGP countries ahead of the forthcoming September summits in New York, and Mexico in October, this year. This, she hoped will serve as a tool to galvanise support for a common position for Africa at global level.
The Director of OGP Sierra Leone Khadija Sesay (first from left in photo) in an encouraged member states to work in partnership with civil society organizations as she can’t work without civil society, though financial constraints pose huge challenges in the implementation of programmes and activities of the OGP.
She therefore called on governments and heads of state of developing countries to buy into the initiative of supporting the OGP to move the process forward, as most of what was catalogued at the meeting have already been done by Sierra Leone, through government’s commitment to the process.
On behalf of the Civil Society Organization-OGP Steering Committee, Sierra Leone’s Marcella Samba Sesay, Head of Programmes, Campaign for Good Governance, said the OGP is about building trust and confidence between government and civil society.
She explained that it is a broad-based partnership through which government has provided the space with a level playing ground for civil society organizations to be sensitizing the public about the OGP process, which, according to her has fostered confidence, trust, mutual understanding and cooperation between them.
Samba underscored the significance of the good working relationship between civil society organizations and government, disclosing that they have also developed a monitoring framework to augment integrity, accountability and transparency through checks and balances. She noted that the CGG secured the space and came on board with a couple of other civil society organizations reiterating that it is about bringing the right people to the table.
The Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Andrew Tehmeah of Liberia lauded the efforts of OGP Sierra Leone and civil society organizations for the promotion of sound working ties. He called on all to rally their governments back home to ensure that Africa takes the global leadership of the OGP through a common position.
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