Morocco: Morocco’s National Authority for Probity, Prevention, and the Fight Against Corruption (INPPLC) has joined the international ‘Open Government Partnership’ initiative as the first independent institution.
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, the INPPLC stated that its president, Mohamed Benalilou, conducted a working meeting with Aidan Eyakuze, the executive director of the “Open Government Partnership” (OGP), and members of his delegation. The meeting aimed to explore opportunities for enhancing cooperation within the framework of this international initiative, focusing on a new approach of “open independent institutions” as an evolved extension of the open government model.
During the meeting, Benalilou reiterated the Authority’s strategic decision to engage in the “Open Government Partnership” as an international reference platform for promoting transparency, public accountability, citizen participation, and institutional innovation. This move is also aimed at strengthening integrity and preventing corruption. The press release highlights the Authority’s commitment to integrating the initiative’s approaches and principles into its operations to increase public trust and promote governance based on results and impact.
This meeting builds on a previous one held in Washington at the end of last year and aligns with the national momentum to establish a comprehensive model of open governance. This model is based on strengthening the coherence of public policies and the complementarity of roles among stakeholders, while respecting their independence, which is a fundamental pillar of the ‘open independent institutions’ approach.
Discussions also led to an agreement on cooperation priorities and future areas of focus, notably through the adoption of an approach based on measurable commitments. This approach aligns with the methodology of national and institutional action plans and includes independent monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
The Authority presented an action plan comprising 15 concrete commitments centered on strengthening proactive transparency and open data, developing accountability and impact assessment mechanisms, expanding opportunities for citizen participation and public consultation, and promoting institutional innovation and digital transformation in the field of corruption prevention.
This action plan aims to establish an integrated, citizen-centered approach by aligning the Authority’s strategic projects with the Open Government Partnership framework to ensure internal coherence and enhance its impact on public policies related to integrity and the fight against corruption.
Both parties also agreed to use this commitment as a lever for developing multi-level strategic partnerships and for strengthening South-South cooperation. This is intended to promote the exchange of best practices and embed open government standards within independent institutions.
It was emphasized that the Authority is called upon to play a central role, in close coordination with the partnership’s international secretariat, in establishing, facilitating, and coordinating a cooperation network with peer institutions, particularly at the African and Arab levels. This effort aims to contribute to a regional momentum in support of the model of open, independent institutions.
As a first practical step, the two parties decided to organize a regional event next November to mobilize peer African institutions and strengthen their engagement with open government principles. This event will focus on sharing best practices in areas such as transparency, accountability, and corruption prevention.
The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral international initiative launched in 2011, which Morocco joined in 2018. It brings together more than 70 countries and thousands of civil society actors to support governments and institutions in making concrete commitments to transparency, citizen empowerment, the fight against corruption, and improved governance.