As part of the government-level anti-corruption programme, the Government decided in 2012 that Hungary will join the Open Government Partnership and will thereby make a number of further undertakings in the fight against corruption and for the implementation of a more transparent system of public administration.

Based on the recommendations of civil organisations and following the consultations conducted with them in December 2012, the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice prepared an Action Plan that contains the undertakings in conjunction with accession to the Open Government Partnership (OGP). The plan is a draft at present and cannot therefore be regarded as the Government’s official position in its current status.

International experiences confirm that the enhancement of transparency in public administration boosts the given country’s economic and social competitiveness and serves to increase the faith citizens have in public administration. By joining the Open Government Partnership, the Government is committed to the attainment of these goals and prepared the action plan which identifies and plans to implement further voluntary undertakings in addition to the anti-corruption measures taken to date.

Hungary’s undertakings related to open government primarily relate to the enhancement of the integrity of public administration agencies but also partially concern the improvement of public services and the more effective utilisation of public resources. A specific feature of Hungary’s undertakings is that they do not represent separate undertakings but constitute an integral whole together with the anti-corruption programme. Consequently, the undertakings may be implemented within the framework of the already operational programme, against the availability of adequate financial resources and personnel.

In the event of the approval of the Action Plan, Hungary pledges to improve the publicity of fiscal data and access to public procurement information and to increase the publicity of contracts entered into with respect to the utilisation of public property and public funds. Additionally, it introduces an integrity management system in the public sector, as part of which it creates an institutional system for the protection of whistleblowers, identifies the rules relating to communication between state agencies and interest representations, ensures that any proposals to be discussed by the Government and the drafts of ministerial decrees are previously subjected to an analysis focusing on corruption risks and creates occupational codes of ethics approved by professional public bodies that are independent of the Government for government servants and law enforcement agencies.

Hungary would additionally agree to extend the dissemination of information on the prevention of corruption and issues related to integrity, as part of which it intends to provide training for the staff members of state agencies on issues such as integrity, the prevention of corruption and ethics, and will launch authentic, transparent and cost-effective information campaigns, differentiated for each target group, with the active involvement of citizens and civil organisations in order to improve the skills and awareness of members of society in connection with corruption phenomena and the attitudes and counter-measures that may be employed to effectively fight them.

The purpose of the international initiative Open Government Partnership launched in 2011 is to reinforce the commitment of the participating States to more transparent state operations. The Open Government Declaration was first signed by eight countries in September 2011 (USA, United Kingdom, Norway, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, the Republic of South Africa and the Philippines) and has since been joined by further countries. OGP, as a progressive initiative, provides an appropriate framework for the further enhancement of publicity, social participation and transparency and membership is therefore a priority for Hungary as well.

Details on the Government’s anti-corruption measures: hu/gyik/osszefoglalo-a-kormany-korrupcioellenes-intezkedeseirol

(Ministry of Public Administration and Justice)