GLOBAL LEGISLATIVE OPENNESS WEEK LAUNCH EVENT: OPEN LEGISLATURES AT HOME AND AROUND THE WORLD

In celebration of the third annual Global Legislative Openness Week, the OpenGov Foundation, Sunlight Foundation, National Democratic Institute and other partner organizations will convene a two-part panel discussion to explore the importance of open legislatures, discuss legislative openness initiatives around the world, and consider openness priorities for the 115th Congress.

Global Legislative Openness Week (GLOW) is a celebration of open, participatory legislative processes around the world. It is an opportunity for diverse stakeholders—in parliaments, governments and civil society—to collaborate and make progress toward adopting and implementing openness reforms. The week is coordinated by members of the Open Government Partnership’s Legislative Openness Working Group and the broader parliamentary openness community, particularly the OpeningParliament.org civil society network. The launch event kicks off a series of events and activities to mark GLOW, including a legislative hackathon in Taiwan, the launch of a legislative openness reform plan in Kosovo, a civil society campaign for openness reform in Liberia, and more.

This event will be livestreamed via YouTube Live. Please check the GLOW website for more information.

PROGRAM AGENDA

10:00 AM - 10:15 AM Welcome

• Scott Hubli, Director of Governance Programs, National Democratic Institute

• Nada Zohdy, Manager, OpenGov Hub

10:15 AM - 11:15 AM Openness and the 115th Congress: Civil Society Priorities and Projects

With elections quickly approaching, GLOW provides an opportunity to reflect on both recent efforts to open Congress to the public and priorities for the 115th Congress. This panel of leading domestic civil society experts will introduce their work and identify the most important openness issues to be addressed in the 115th Congress.

• Rachna Choudhry, Chief Marketing Officer, POPVOX

• Lorelei Kelly, Director, Resilient Democracy Coalition

• Seamus Kraft, Executive Director, OpenGov Foundation (Moderator)

• Alex Howard, Senior Analyst, Sunlight Foundation

• Travis Moore, Founder and Director, TechCongress

• Daniel Schuman, Policy Director, Demand Progress

11:15 AM - 12:15 PM Legislative Openness Around the World: Parliaments and the Open Government Partnership

This panel will consider international efforts to advance legislative openness, specifically the role of parliaments in the Open Government Partnership. A general overview of the status of legislative participation in OGP will be provided and panelists will discuss opportunities for deepening legislative engagement. This portion of the event will also feature presentations via video link to provide updates on the status of legislative openness reform issues around the world.

• María Baron, Executive Director, Fundación Directorio Legislativo (Via video)

• Scott Hubli, Director of Governance Programs, National Democratic Institute

• Sanjay Pradhan, Chief Executive Officer, Open Government Partnership

12:15 PM - 1:00 PM Lunch Reception

Following the program, an informal, light lunch will be served.