Paris, 9 December 2016 — As France is hosting the Open Government Partnership Global Summit, a number of Civil Society Organizations point out the inconsistencies of the French government. Some have decided not to attend.

The report on “open government” in France is co-signed by the following Civil Society Organizations (CSO): ANTICOR, April, BLOOM, DemocracyOS France, Fais ta loi, Framasoft, La Quadrature du Net, Ligue des Droits de l’Homme, Regards Citoyens, République citoyenne, SavoirsCom1.



While showcasing a “dialogue with civil society”, France is far from being an exemplary democracy

Open government is a new way to collaborate between public actors and civil society, to find mutual answers to the important challenges democracies are facing: human rights, preservation of the environment, fighting corruption, universal access to knowledge, etc.

To this end, seventy countries joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP). Each state is required to co-create and implement a “National Action Plan” together with civil society.

France joined the Open Government Partnership in April 2014, and published its first National Action Plan in July 2015.Since October 2016 the French government co-chairs the OGP with WRI (World Resource Institute), a US-based civil society organization. As such, France will host the OGP Global Summit, in Paris, from December 7th to December 9th, 2016, announced as the “COP 21 for democracy”.

As the “Country of Human Rights”, co-chair and host of the OGP Global Summit, France should be exemplary regarding open government.

Unfortunately, actions do not match the promises, including in the three areas identified as “core priorities” by the French government itself (1. climate change and sustainable development ; 2. transparency, integrity and anti-corruption ; 3. building digital commons), despite the Government’s self-satisfaction.Worse, some decisions, incompatible with democratic progress as promoted by the Open Government Partnership, are leading France on a dangerous path.

The Civil Society Organizations who co-sign this statement, publish their critical analysis of Open Government in France and ask the French Government and Representatives to reevaluate some choices that are widely inconsistent with general interest and OGP’s principles, and to finally bring coherence between speeches and actions.

Signatories