Professor Kimberlee Weatherall appointed to Australia’s Open Government Forum to help shape National Action Plan
Author ADM+S Centre
Date 11 May 2026
Professor Kimberlee Weatherall has been appointed as a civil society member of Australia’s Open Government Forum, helping to shape Australia’s Fourth National Action Plan on pressing issues ranging from digital transformation and artificial intelligence to public ethics and safety.
Australia’s Open Government Forum has equal representation from government and civil society to promote transparent, participatory, inclusive and accountable governance and drive engagement with civil society and the broader community on National Action Plans.
Professor Kimberlee Weatherall from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society (ADM+S) at the University of Sydney is one of six civil society members appointed to Australia’s Open Government Forum, alongside six government representatives announced by the Attorney-General on 8 May.
“The Open Government Forum is an important space to bring civil society and government representatives together to talk about how we promote Australia’s commitment to open government,” said Professor Weatherall.
“ I’m very much looking forward to contributing to the work of the Forum and to the next National Action Plan”.
The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a multilateral initiative that aims to secure commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption and harness new technologies to strengthen governance.
Civil society members were selected based on their demonstrated support for the OGP’s vision and Open Government Declaration, their ability to engage with civil society stakeholders and networks, their experience working with and influencing government, and their expertise relevant to open government priorities and emerging issues.
The Australian Government became a member of the OGP in 2015, committing to support its goals of increasing the transparency and accountability of government. After governments join the OGP, they work with civil society to create national action plans setting out concrete steps that will be taken to increase openness over the next 2 years.
“Open government, loosely described as our right to engage with and scrutinise government actions, is the aspiration of every thoughtful citizen. This is so because transparency and accountability always improve our community’s lived outcomes,” stated Professor Kate Auty, Civil Society Co-Chair 2024-2025.
“We know, and research tells us, that government will make better and more informed decisions when civil society is involved in the matters that affect us.”
Australia’s Third National Action Plan (NAP3), published on 15 December 2023, runs from 2024-2025. The new forum will develop Australia’s Fourth OGP National Action Plan (NAP4) by the end of 2026.
The forum’s first meeting will take place on 19 May 2026, where members will establish and agree on the forum’s terms of reference.
More information about Australia’s Open Government Forum is available from the Attorney-General’s Department.
