Administrator Power traveled to Tallinn, Estonia, to jointly lead the U.S. delegation to the 2023 Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit alongside General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Robin Carnahan. At the Summit, Administrator Power gave a keynote address at the Closing Plenary and announced new USAID support to OGP, including a three-year, up to $3 million grant aimed at expanding and enhancing OGP implementation at the country level. Administrator Power also announced that USAID and OGP had signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding that creates a strategic framework for long-term engagement, cooperation, and collaboration between USAID and OGP on anti-corruption, digital democracy, gender and inclusive development, open justice, democracy delivers/windows of opportunity contexts, and transparent and accountable debt management.
Administrator Power also participated in the “State in a Smartphone: The Future of Digital Government” session, where she highlighted USAID support for digital transformation efforts alongside representatives from the governments of Ukraine and Estonia. During the session, the Administrator announced that Estonia, through the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), will join USAID’s effort to accelerate the digital transformation of selected partner countries by providing expert guidance, drawing upon the Estonian Government’s experience building out one of the most advanced data exchange platforms in the world.
In addition to attending the Summit, Administrator Power met with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. They discussed the robust U.S.-Estonia bilateral relationship, opportunities for enhanced collaboration on shared development and governance priorities, and promoting digital solutions for global challenges. Administrator Power expressed appreciation to Prime Minister Kallas for Estonia’s support to Ukraine and strong cooperation with the U.S. on supporting the Ukrainian people.
While in Tallinn, Administrator Power also met with a group of young women civil society leaders who are on the forefront of efforts around the world to tackle corruption, expand access to information, and promote government transparency measures. The Administrator ended her visit by meeting with Ukrainian students at the Freedom School (Vabaduse Kool), a public school founded by the Ministry of Education and Research of Estonia in May 2022 to provide education for Ukrainian refugee children and youth living in Estonia.
