State power becoming more open and efficient

At its meeting on Oct. 31, 2013, the Cabinet of Ministers summarized reaching intermediate goals and developed a roadmap of measures and actions for full implementation of the international program “Open Government Partnership” in 2014, the Information-Analytical Bulletin of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine informs.

The program is aimed to improve openness and transparency of government bodies, establish a system of state administration and improve its performance based on large-scale utilization of new information and communication technologies.

Experts say the purpose of the program is to involve institutions of civil society in formation of public policy, ensure transparency of decision-making, and grant Ukrainian citizens an open access to electronic databases of ministries and government agencies.

For the record, in 2011, the UN General Assembly started this international initiative. President Viktor Yanukovich participated in the inauguration ceremony of the partnership in New York and confirmed readiness of our country to join the project since its first days. In 2013, 58 countries also expressed their willingness to join the Partnership.

Experts say implementation of international initiative by Ukraine will bring a new form of governmental cooperation with citizens and civil institutions, which ensures transition from an open dialogue to partnership. This will contribute to higher level of openness and transparency for Ukrainian Government  in accordance with international and European standards.

Ukraine has completed 55% of its international obligations for a year of implementing the Partnership, according to government analysts. This figure is quite positive, as the action plan is developed for two years.

During the first year of the program, the government mostly took actions in establishing regulatory framework for providing administrative services. Also, partially implemented were initiatives for electronic management, introduction of integrated register of administrative services, and establishing a single portal for them. Unified centers of rendering the administrative services were started in many cities of Ukraine.

The government progress report for the Partnership in 2013 will be presented at the UN General Assembly in late November.