In a bid to promote open and good governance in developing countries, the United Kingdom said it would include transparency and accountability in its criteria for determining a partner country’s eligibility for U.K. budget support. This plan to tie some aspects of U.K. budget support to a country’s transparency initiatives are part of the commitments made by the United Kingdom as one of the eight founding members of the Open Government Partnership, a multinational initiative that aims to promote more open, accountable, effective and transparent governance. The commitments were outlined by U.K. Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude at the formal launch of the partnership on Tuesday, Sept. 20, in New York, USA.The launch was attended by heads of states and representatives of the eight founding governments and of 43 other countries that have expressed intention to join the partnership in coming years. Aside from the United Kingdom, the founding governments are the United States, Brazil, Norway, Indonesia, Mexico, the Philippines and the South Africa. The eight, which also comprise the OGP’s steering committee co-chaired by the United States and Brazil, each outlined action plans to promote transparency domestically.The steering committee also includes civil society organizations, which U.S. President Barack Obama described during the launch as “equal partners” instead of spectators.The Open Government Partnership was first announced in July by the United States as a global initiative to promote more open, accountable, effective and transparent governance.
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