International Open Data Charter

In June 2013 all G8 leaders signed the Open Data Charter which outlined a set of five core principles to promote transparency, innovation and governmental accountability. The global open data movement welcomed those principles as the necessary tool to lay the foundation for a better collaboration. Nevertheless, there was a general sense that those principles could be refined and improved to suit better to existing diversity.

It was then that, through the Open Data Working Group belonging to Open Government Partnership and thanks to the leadership of International Development Research Centre, the World Wide Web Foundation, Omidyar Network and the governments of Canada, Mexico and UK, International Open Data Charter was set out.

The goal of the International Open Data Charter is to foster greater coherence and collaboration for the increased adoption and implementation of shared open data principles, standards and good practices across open data around the world. To this end, the Charter was developed within a broad participatory process which actively engaged governments, multi-lateral organizations and civil society from around the world; resulting in the submission of over 350 comments and contributing to significantly improve the proposed principles, including:

• Broadening of the original principles for adoption at local, regional and national level.
• Promotion of a new principle to foster comparability and interoperability for increased usage and impact of open data;
• Acknowledgement of the role of open data facing global challenges such as the digital divide and inclusive development;
• Recommendation of standardisation of data and metadata;
• Encouragement of cultural change, needed for the success of open data;
• Safeguarding the privacy of citizens and their capacity to decide how it is managed.
• Fostering a broader engagement with citizens and civil society;
• Promotion of capacities and knowledge needed to maximise the value of open data.
• Adoption by other organizations such as those from civil society or the private sector.

The International Open Data Charter has rapidly become the new ad hoc standard to implement open data strategies around the world. The upcoming goals are the development of resources, guidelines and tools to promote the adoption of the principles by as many agents as possible.

Nowadays there are several working groups to develop the necessary mechanisms, strategies and standards to go forward in the process. The initial steps have been taken to elaborate thematic toolkits which help fight against corruption and climate change via open data. If you are interested in adopting officially the principles or participating actively in the process, you can contact directly via info@opendatacharter.net.