Access to Public Information: Between Obstacles & Opportunities Towards Open Government in Benin

Open government in Benin has been on the agenda of politicians and civil society for the past five years. The concept aims at effective governance through transparency and accountability of public authorities. However, certain basic requirements for its implementation in our country continue to be an obstacle. Among them is the non-recognition of the right of access to public information – one of the pillars of open government. The NGO Coalition of Benin for an Open Government1, with support from NIMD (Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy), brought together Beninese parliamentarians in Cotonou for an advocacy seminar on access to public information from 11 – 13 August 2020. This is yet another advocacy meeting whose objective was "to get the Beninese legislature to take charge of the content and challenges of Open Government and its score for a successful process" of Benin's accession to the Open Government Partnership (OGP), specifically aimed at sensitising parliamentarians on the need to provide Benin with a law that effectively promotes access to public information