Hungary quits Open Government Partnership

The Hungarian government has withdrawn with immediate effect from the international anti-corruption organization 'Open Government Partnership' as stated in a letter sent by the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade before the annual meeting of the organization.

A statement by the Open Government Partnership (OGP) says its Steering Committee received a letter from the Government of Hungary announcing its immediate withdrawal from the partnership. The Government of Hungary had been under review by OGP since July 2015 for concerns raised by civil society organizations regarding their space to operate in the country.

Hungary joined the OGP in 2012. The justice ministry said then that the move was made as part of the government’s anti-corruption programme. The OGP was launched in 2011 and has 70 participating countries.

The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral initiative that aims to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance.