📢 The Power of Open Government and Local Action: Highlights of the Building Bridges, Empowering Citizens Campaign

UNDP, along with Open Government Partnership (OGP) and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), are putting citizens at the heart of decision-making.

As part of UNDP’s commitment to accelerating the 2030 Agenda, this joint campaign leverages open government principles and citizen participation to strengthen local governance. Running from October to December 2025, Building Bridges, Empowering Citizens showcases how cities and regions are driving SDG implementation from the ground up.

Below are some highlights of the campaign so far.

What is the campaign about?

Building Bridges, Empowering Citizens showcases how local and regional governments around the world are advancing transparency, accountability, inclusion, and participation in their work. Its core message is simple: sustainable development only works when local governments act and when people have a voice in shaping their communities. Through the campaign, partners are documenting practical examples of:

• Open data and budget transparency
• Participatory policy and service design
• Citizen-led monitoring of public action
• Digital tools that improve access to information
• Inclusive governance models that leave no one behind

Open governments transforming local governance

Open government practices enable communities to contribute directly to the design, implementation, and monitoring of local policies. While the SDGs provide the global roadmap, their success depends on what happens at the local level.

An open government:

• Shares information on actions, budgets, and performance
• Strengthens trust between institutions and people
• Reinforces democratic values and civic engagement
• Builds resilient institutions capable of delivering on the SDGs

By reshaping the relationship between governments and citizens, open government is becoming a key driver of effective, responsive, and future-ready governance.

The SDGs

The future we need is open, digital, inclusive, and participatory. When local institutions embrace these principles, they unlock communities' potential to accelerate SDG progress from improving public services to fostering innovation and strengthening social cohesion.

An open, inclusive, and responsive local government can power sustainable development from the ground up and help ensure that every voice counts as we chart the next steps toward 2030.