On April 13, 2026, the Open Government Partnership (OGP) made the decision to suspend Georgia’s membership. As a result, Georgia was excluded from one of the most prestigious international platforms that aims to strengthen government transparency, accountability, and citizen participation.

What is OGP and why is it important?

OGP brings together democracies and countries on the path to democracy that commit to becoming more transparent and accountable to their citizens. It is a space where governments and civil society work together to reduce corruption, increase access to information, and strengthen citizen engagement. Georgia was previously considered a successful example in this direction.

What led to the decision?

In 2023, as a result of the Georgian government’s intensified repression of civil society and the media, OGP temporarily suspended Georgia’s membership and gave the government a specific deadline of 2025 to implement two recommendations:

1. Repeal all laws that restrict the rights of civil society, the media, and citizens; and

2. Protect freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and civil society activities from physical and other attacks.

Instead of implementing the recommendations, the Georgian government worsened the situation: democratic backsliding continued, fundamental human rights were restricted, and even more laws were passed against civil society and the media. Ultimately, civil society organizations participating in the OGP process refused to cooperate with the Georgian Dream government in protest.

OGP concluded that the country no longer had the minimum environment required for open and accountable governance, and finally terminated Georgia’s membership.

What does this decision mean?

This decision by the OGP is a confirmation that Georgia has moved away from the democratic standards it pledged to uphold. The country has lost international trust and opportunities for democratic development.

On the one hand, the Georgian Dream government is tightening control over the financing of civil society and the media and is trying to limit their activities in the name of “transparency”; on the other hand, it itself fails to meet international standards in the field of transparency and accountability and, as a result, is losing membership in an international organization that is based on these very principles.

Why should a Georgian citizen care about this?

Exclusion from the OGP is not just a matter of foreign policy. It is directly related to the rights of each citizen – how freely one can express one’s opinion, how independent the media is, how transparent the state is, and how much the public can control the government.

This decision demonstrates that democratic institutions in the country are no longer functioning and that citizens’ voices are no longer being heard.

Signatory organizations:

Transparency International Georgia

Institute for Development of Freedom of Information

Green Alternative

Georgian Young Lawyers Association

Civil Society Institute