On September 10th, the Ministry of Digitalisation and Public Administration (DFD) organised a meeting of the stakeholder forum for the Open Government Partnership. The meeting gathered around 40 participants from both public administration and civil society.
The meeting aimed to discuss initiatives to combat corruption, a key priority in Norway’s action plan for the Open Government Partnership. The Ministry of Justice and Public Security introduced the new white paper on economic crime, while the Ministry of Finance and the Brønnøysund Register Centre showcased their work on the new register for beneficial owners. State Secretary Gunn Karin Gjul led the meeting, underscoring the importance of fostering transparency and collaboration between authorities and civil society organizations in the fight against corruption.
The government received valuable and constructive feedback from civil society. Transparency International Norway highlighted that the government’s white paper on economic crime falls short in addressing corruption strategically; the specific threat of corruption is obscured within the broader discussions of economic crime. Transparency International Norway also emphasized that Norway lacks a comprehensive national strategy to combat corruption and falls below the OECD average on several critical anti-corruption indicators.
Tax Justice Norway’s presentation focused on access to information about beneficial owners in the new register, advocating for it to be open to everyone. They emphasized that an open register of actual ownership is crucial not only for combating money laundering but also for countering tax evasion, ensuring transparency in property ownership, and fighting corruption.
The ministry received feedback that the meeting’s topic was of great interest, but more time is needed for discussion and dialogue following the presentations. DFD will incorporate this feedback into its ongoing work with the Open Government Partnership (OGP) and welcomes further suggestions on how to make these meetings even more effective for both the administration and civil society. The exchange of views during the meeting underscored the importance of including diverse perspectives and voices in the fight against corruption.
For more information and access to all presentations, you can download the PDF document here.