Georgia Permanently Suspended from Open Government Partnership
By Messenger Staff
Friday, April 24, 2026
Georgia has been "permanently suspended" from the Open Government Partnership (OGP), an international platform dedicated to transparency and accountability. The OGP found the country no longer meets the essential conditions for membership, particularly regarding the "enabling environment" required for government and civil society to collaborate.
The OGP Steering Committee had previously placed Georgia under temporary suspension in 2024 due to backsliding on commitments. However, the committee noted that as of March 2026, the Georgian government had failed to provide any plan or formal communication outlining steps to address concerns related to civic space, freedom of expression, and assembly. According to the OGP, independent evaluations indicate continued legislative and institutional restrictions on media and civil society, as well as ongoing threats to fundamental freedoms.
Founded in 2011, the OGP was once a platform where Georgia was considered a pioneer, even serving as the partnership's chair in 2017. OGP CEO Aidan Eyakuze stated that while the partnership is rooted in the principle of government and civil society working together, those conditions are "not currently met in Georgia." He expressed hope that the country might rejoin in the future, provided it meets eligibility criteria and passes a values check.
Local civil society organizations, including Transparency International Georgia and the Georgian Young Lawyers Association, reacted to the news by stating the decision confirms Georgia has moved away from its pledged democratic standards. In a joint statement, the groups argued that the country has lost international trust and that the government's actions, including new laws targeting media and NGOs made continued cooperation impossible. They noted that many civil society participants had already refused to work with the Georgian Dream government in protest of the country's democratic decline.
