The Open Government Partnership (OGP) Steering Committee* is deeply concerned about recent personal attacks on Ms. Vanja Calovic, the Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM) researcher in Montenegro. Montenegro is a participating country in OGP, and the attacks are linked to Ms. Calovic’s work on promoting more open, transparent and accountable governance in Montenegro. Alongside the International Expert Panel*, we would like to express our solidarity with Ms. Calovic, who is making a critical contribution to OGP through her work reporting on Montenegro’s progress in implementing its OGP National Action Plan.
We are in contact with the Government of Montenegro who have informed us that the relevant Montenegrin institutions are taking steps to address this issue. We encourage swift action to ensure that Ms. Calovic’s ability to fulfil her role as an IRM researcher and a member of civil society is protected.
*The OGP Steering Committee is comprised of 11 Governments and 11 Civil Society leaders.
*The International Expert Panel is an independent body with a mandate to assure the quality of reporting and the ability of IRM researchers to carry out their work. Their statement on the situation can be read here
Complete statement here
Joe Powell
Deputy Director
Open Government Partnership Support Unit
joe.powell@opengovpartnership.org
+12024892146
@josephpowell
Please note that emails exchanged with the OGP Support Unit may be subject to the OGP disclosure policy, which is available here.
