Historic Global Open Government Partnership Launches in New York City

Open government is about to assume a higher profile in foreign affairs. On July 12, 2011, the State Department hosted an historic gathering in Washington to announce the (OGP) with Brazil and six other nations. Today in New York City, this unprecedented global partnership will launch. Heads of state, representatives of civil society, members of the free press and technologists will convene at the New York offices of Google to hail the "Power of Open" around the world. In the afternoon, President Obama and the leaders of seven other countries will announce their national action plans and commitments to open government...

...Some 43 countries have now indicated their intent to join this international open government partnership, with the vast majority joining the founding eight members, led by Brazil and the United States. The formation of the OGP revisited the bilateral U.S.-Indian partnership on open government that was announced during President Obama's trip to India last November, although India subsequently withdrew from the OGP in July...