Sri Lanka’s commitment to transparent and participatory governance is being tested as the government continues to delay engagement with the Open Government Partnership (OGP) process, said a press release by the Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL).

It said: As co-conveners of the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) process in Sri Lanka, TISL and the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement express deep concern over the government’s continued lack of commitment to participatory governance. This inaction jeopardises Sri Lanka’s membership in the OGP and starkly contradicts the government’s own policy statements, which pledge a shift toward a “people’s government” and promote governance and development as a collective endeavour.

The OGP is a vital multi-stakeholder platform aimed at fostering transparent, inclusive, and accountable governance through citizen participation in public matters. Over 70 countries and thousands of civil society organisations globally are members of the OGP. Member countries are required to co-create a two-year National Action Plan through a multi-stakeholder process to implement governance reforms in collaboration with civil society. Since joining the OGP in 2015, Sri Lanka has submitted two such Action Plans — both co-created with Civil Society Organisations — though both faced significant implementation challenges.

Due to the failure of previous governments to submit a National Action Plan for three consecutive years (2021, 2022, and 2023), the OGP Steering Committee passed a resolution on 10 May 2024 designating Sri Lanka as “inactive.” To regain active status, Sri Lanka must submit an Action Plan that meets OGP’s Participation and Co-Creation Standards within one year. Failing this, Sri Lanka faces automatic withdrawal from OGP membership, effective 10 May 2025. The current government has a unique opportunity to re-engage meaningfully with the OGP process and fulfill its manifesto promises of fostering a participatory model of governance.

In February 2024, Civil Society Organisations withdrew from co-creating the third National Action Plan in protest against the previous government’s introduction of oppressive and undemocratic laws that undermined fundamental freedoms and participatory governance—specifically, the Online Safety Act and the proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill. These legislative efforts significantly curtailed civic space.

With the appointment of the new administration, the co-conveners representing the CSO collective formally indicated their readiness to re-engage, encouraged by the government’s stated commitment to repealing legislation that restricts participatory governance and civil liberties. However, despite repeated outreach by the co-conveners, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Presidential Secretariat, and the Parliamentary Caucus for the Open Parliament Initiative have failed to clarify the government’s position on re-engaging in the OGP process. Additionally, OGP Headquarters in Washington’s formal communication to the Government of Sri Lanka in December 2024 remains unanswered.

This persistent lack of engagement reflects a broader and long-standing pattern of weak consultative governance in Sri Lanka. Continued inaction in the OGP process not only damages Sri Lanka’s international standing but also undermines the credibility of domestic reform initiatives such as the “Clean Sri Lanka” campaign.

The OGP civil society collective strongly urges the government to honour its commitments and collaborate with civil society to restore Sri Lanka’s active status in the OGP. Restoring trust in public institutions requires a firm commitment to open, inclusive, and participatory governance that reflects the voices and needs of the people.