The Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit is a key gathering for government representatives, civil society leaders, and open government advocates from around the world. It serves as a crucial platform for sharing ideas, forging partnerships, and setting the agenda for more transparent, participatory, and accountable governance. Our team and key allies will be on the ground, connecting with key actors, learning from each other and sharing a vision of an open, fair and sustainable future for our societies.
Our Priorities in 2025
As we approach the 2025 Open Government Partnership Global Summit, the Open Knowledge Foundation (OKFN) is prepared to collaborate with governments, civil society, and communities to shape a digital future that is open, fair, and sustainable. Our focus this year is clear: putting communities, knowledge, data and AI to work for the public good. That is why, ahead of the event and through the activities we have prepared, we want to convey three messages to all of you:
1. Let’s build open, sustainable and lasting data and AI infrastructures that serve people, not the Tech Giants.
We aim to support the OGP community in developing and future-proofing their data and AI infrastructures as we have done for over two decades. Our experience can guide any government or local government to navigate the current landscape and ensure that the technology decisions are rooted in ethical and sustainable options that can advance, rather than hinder their democracies and are shaped by the local communities they intend to serve. Together, we can ensure that the technologies shaping our societies remain open, accountable, and people-first.
We will explore these ideas in the side event The Local Stack for Digital Sovereignty: Building Open and Inclusive Digital Infrastructures (Oct 6, 17:10) and the High-Level Session Digital Infrastructure for Open Government (Oct 8, 15:30).
As part of this work, we’ll also showcase how CKAN, as a recognised Digital Public Good, continues to serve as the backbone of public data worldwide, and how tools like the Open Data Editor (ODE) make open data more accessible for everyone. This was documented in our recent publication, ‘Read This Before You Build’, which is part of our The Tech We Want initiative.
2. Support stronger, applied data and AI literacy — so every citizen can question, audit, and shape the systems around them.
Data and AI are transforming how decisions are made, and citizens must have the power to understand and challenge them. Through our work with the reactivated School of Data community, we are committed to building critical AI literacies that equip citizens, journalists, and officials with the skills to question, audit, and shape AI systems — before they shape us.
We’ll bring these conversations to the Breakout Session When AI Meets Open Data (Oct 8, 9:00), and highlight our collective capacity-building efforts, including the planning of our next Open Data Day, a global celebration and training moment that engages thousands of participants every year.
3. Co-create a sustainable digital commons, including Digital Public Infrastructures and DPGs — where data and AI work for the public good, governed by communities, for communities.
A different governance system is needed to shift the power balance in data and AI. In our partnership with CIS at CNRS, we are moving beyond simply calling for “open data” toward building a robust and sustainable digital commons ecosystem and exploring the role that citizens and open technology communities are playing to shape our digital commons.
We’ll dive deeper into these questions at our side event Data as a Commons Infrastructure: Exploring Ecosystems and DPGs for its Sustainability (Oct 8, 17:30), co-hosted with partners including PARI and Decidim. We will build on the recently released study ‘Towards a Sustainable Data Commons Ecosystem’ and share lessons on funding, building, and sustaining digital commons. Speakers will explore how initiatives like CKAN, Decidim and other local and community-driven platforms can power a digital future that serves democracy.
Our team and members of our Network will be on the ground to connect and strategise with other actors for the challenges ahead. Our CEO, Renata Avila, our Tech Lead, Patricio del Boca, our Comms & Advocacy Director, Lucas Pretti, and our Research Advisor Ana Méndez de Andés will be attending. We have also confirmed attendance of Haydée Svab (Open Knowledge Brazil), Dénes Jäger (Open Knowledge Germany), Maarja-Leena Saar (Open Knowledge Estonia), and Mattias Axell (Open Knowledge Sweden).
Contact us and let’s have a coffee together.
Where You’ll Find Us: Sessions We’ll Attend
OKFN team members will be present at key sessions related to open data, artificial intelligence, and digital public infrastructure. We are keen to listen, learn, and contribute to discussions on:
When AI Meets Open Data [Breakout]
🗓️ Oct 08
📍 Palacio Europa – 7 – Avenida
🕚 9:00 AM – 10:30 PM
This session will highlight concrete examples where the combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and open data has strengthened the right to access information and promoted more participatory and transparent governance. It will also analyze how AI can improve the quality of open data and the identification of reliable and relevant sources, enabling more ethical, effective, and transformative use of data.
Digital Infrastructure for Open Government [High-Level]
🗓️ Oct 08
📍 Palacio Europa – 1 – Maria de Maetzu
🕒 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
From the printing press to artificial intelligence, new technologies have long presented opportunities for enhancing democracy and open government, but digital infrastructure can also bring risks of exacerbating discrimination, surveillance and violations of privacy and human rights. This session will explore how digital systems – including open data portals, participation platforms and AI tools – are being used to facilitate open government, and in turn how open government reforms can ensure digital infrastructure – including digital ID, data exchange and e-governance systems – works for people and institutions.
Join Us: Sessions We’re Running
To drive these conversations forward, we will actively organize and host sessions, including:
The Local Stack for Digital Sovereignty: Building Open and Inclusive Digital Infrastructures [Side Event]
Part of OGP Local Afternoon: Connect, Learn, and Lead
🗓️ Oct 06
📍 Basque Government
🕔 5:10 PM – 5:50 PM
Co-organisers: Open Knowledge Foundation, Municipality of Barcelona, Digital Public Goods Alliance.
This session explores what a “Local Stack” of digital public goods and open technologies could look like for municipalities to deliver open, inclusive, and citizen-centred services. Together, we will identify existing tools, map gaps, and co-create pathways to strengthen digital sovereignty at the local level.
Data as a Commons Infrastructure: Exploring Ecosystems and DPGs for its Sustainability [Side Event]
🗓️ Oct 08
📍 Palace of Villa-Suso
🕔 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
How do we build and share data as a commons? OKFN, with PARI and Decidim, shares lessons on funding, building & sustaining infrastructures like CKAN & Decidim as resilient, community-driven digital commons.
Registration is required through this online form.
The OGP and OKFN: A Shared History of Advancing Openness
The Open Government Partnership was launched in 2011 to provide an international platform for domestic reformers committed to making their governments more open, accountable, and responsive to citizens. OKFN has been a supportive civil society partner of the OGP since its inception. Our long-standing involvement has been focused on ensuring that the principle of “open by default” is central to the initiative, and we have consistently contributed expertise in open data standards, data portal management, and policy development to help member states develop and implement ambitious national action plans.
The last time we formally participated in the event was at the previous edition in Tallinn, Estonia, in 2023, when we held the side event The Tech We Want to Open Governments.
Communications – Follow OKFN online at OGP 2025
On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/okfn.bsky.social
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/open-knowledge-foundation/
On Mastodon: https://fosstodon.org/@okfn
On X: https://x.com/okfn
Media contacts: lucas.pretti@okfn.org in English, Spanish, and Portuguese (on-site).
For any other aspects relating to OKFN’s participation at OGP, contact info@okfn.org.
