Ms.MaireadMcGuinness Mentrim, Drumconrath, Navan,Co.

Meath

Re:OpenGovernmentPartnership[#ogpEU] DearMs.McGuinness,

20thJune2013

I have been greatly encouraged by your work as Member of the European Parliament, and with the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, and on the Petitions Committee. I wish to bring to your attention an international movement called the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a global, multilateral initiative to improve governments through openness and citizen involvement. OGPsfounding member countries United Kingdom, United States, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, South Africa have since September 2011 been joined by more than fifty other nations. We at ActiveCitizen are delighted to have had a role in Irelands new commitment to OGP. Minister Brendan Howlins statement that the basic principle that openness, transparency, integrity and accountabilityofpublicadministration isfundamentaltoeffectivepublicgovernance and the practice of democracy succinctly summarizes the values and vision of OGP. ActiveCitizen looks forward to working constructively andpurposefullywiththeIrishgovernment, MEPs and crucially, civilsociety,asIrelandtakesrealstepstowardsachieving theOGPsstated aims of more transparent, effective and accountable governments with institutions that empowercitizensandareresponsivetotheiraspirations. I am convinced that Irelands membership of OGP will be of immense advantage to Irelands future, but I am concerned by the current lack of awareness at EU level of the OGP process, despitetheparticipationofnumerousmemberstates. OGP membership would present the European Union with clear and present opportunities for renewal of social and civicengagement, for restoration of faith in the governing apparatus, and for securing and fortifying the EUs global reputation.WebelievethatIrelandinitiatingdiscussion

towardsEUmembershipofOGPwouldconstitutealastinglegacyfromtheIrishEUpresidency. We stand on the edge ofa historicopportunityachancetohelpprovidebettergovernanceand promoteactivecitizenshipthroughoutEurope. If EU citizens could credit Ireland with laying the groundwork for a European Union that is a prosperous, 21stcentury global leader via the OGP framework, then our country would have a momentous opportunityfor redeeming ourselvesinglobalesteembychampioningtheprinciples ofopengovernmentandcivicparticipation. I am available tomeetwithyouatyourconveniencetodiscusstheinitiativeinmoredetail,andto answeranyquestionsyoumayhave. Yourssincerely, DenisParfenov AciveCitizen,Founder|ActiveCitizenisagrassroots,politicallyneutral,communityinitiative whichbuildsbridgesbetweencitizensandtheirgovernmentsthroughtechnologytools, communicationsandadvocacyhttp://www.activecitizen.cc/