Fragmented bureaucracy and unclear regulation is overwhelming businesses and governments alike, driving up costs and holding back the economy
Businesses around the world spend trillions a year in dealing with government paperwork and bureaucracy.
This includes complying with new regulations, applying for licenses and authorisations and registering activities. New laws, regulations, decrees and notices add to that burden. Attempts to reduce paperwork or simplify regulations usually fail.
At the same time governments are often ill-equipped to put those new rules into practice or interpret them consistently.
The result is growing backlogs, legislative changes that appear to have little impact, and a feeling across the spectrum that governments aren't able to deliver as before.
Not only is this a cost to the economy and to consumers, administrative delays can also hold back the construction of new factories or infrastructure, stifle innovation, deter investment and financing and at worst it can put a stop to economic growth and development. For businesses that operate in multiple countries, these challenges are amplified.
The problem is well known, the solution is harder to find.
Governments have attempted digitalisation. But with dozens if not hundreds of government agencies in a country at national, state, provincial and municipal level each establishing their own incompatible digital systems the result is a digital jungle.
Yet digital technology and the growth of AI tools and agents should offer an opportunity to reduce administrative costs and delays.
UNCTAD has worked in more than 60 countries, using a mix of training and technology to help government agencies to make regulations and requirements clear and transparent, to simplify procedures and to create digital single windows through which to manage and facilitate government transactions.
Based on its experience and the fast-growing scale of the problem to be solved, it has developed a new generation of digital government tools, compatible with AI agents, collectively known as OpenGov.
A new generation of digital tools to help governments reduce the administrative burden and deliver better to the economy and the public
OpenGov is a modular ecosystem of five independent tools that together vastly simplify, digitalise and improve the delivery of government services.
OpenGov supports global priorities such as the G20 2026 agenda on alleviating regulatory burdens and advancing digital innovation, the WTO Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement and similar regional and bilateral agreements.
Each tool organizes a key function: defining rules and making them transparent, connecting public registries, handling applications, and processing approvals. They can be used independently or as part of a complete digital workflow. We consider these to be the basic building blocks of an effective administrative delivery.
Governments have the choice of using these tools, substituting their own, or giving access to third party digital AI agents operated by businesses, members of the public, other government departments or third‑party service providers.
Five tools, one standardised ecosystem for a streamlined and coherent digital government
SmartRules
SmartRules enables agencies to define registration requirements and publish them in a standard language format that is agreed by all countries. SmartRules defines an administrative procedure through three parts: what information is required, how that information can be proven (for example a passport) and what values are acceptable (for example having a certain age or holding a certain license). Government officers use a visual interface to set these requirements.
The result is a single, authoritative source of truth that any system or AI agent can use. By requiring precision, SmartRules exposes redundancies and naturally leads to simplification.
More about SmartRules: opengov.world/whitepaper
eRnext
eRnext is OpenGov's user‑facing portal. An AI assistant reads the rules published in SmartRules, generates dynamic forms, and explains requirements in plain language. It also applies the proof and validation rules defined in SmartRules. If a requirement states that an applicant must be over 18 but passport data shows the applicant is younger, the system will not allow the submission to proceed.
The assistant combines overlapping questions from different agencies and manages multi‑agency submissions (for example, construction permits). Data and documents provided by the applicant are stored in a private repository for reuse in future applications. As this repository grows, most applications can be reduced to a simple review-and-submit process.
Governments may also choose to allow an applicant to develop their own agent, instead of using eRnext, or use an agent or interface provided for example by their bank or other service provider.
eApproval
eApproval gives each reviewer (an authorised government officer) access to only the information under their mandate, together with the exact criteria they should apply. AI flags items that need attention.
The final decision rests with humans, but the process is faster, more consistent, and fully auditable. Governments may also choose to automate some or all of the review process.
SmartData
Data management is at the heart of effective administration. SmartData allows government registries to easily create and administer professional, secure databases without programming. Databases are built through a simple, visual interface and can be deployed online in a single click. The system provides advanced data management, log and connectivity options.
Government officers can use the interface to capture, store, edit, search and present data. The system can work with SmartRules to define how data is collected and entered, and interact with other OpenGov tools.
SmartLink
Finally, SmartLink allows different government and private systems, including the tools above, to talk to each other, share data and convey decisions. For example, the business registry registers a new business and asks the tax registry to create a taxpayer number. A municipality checks information at the land registry before proceeding with a construction permit.
Instead of building custom code for each integration, which can be expensive and time-consuming, administrators configure connections to any API, legacy databases, or other agency system through a visual interface.
This interoperability layer handles secure access, data translation, and protocol adaptation behind the scenes, simplifying architecture and enabling real‑time data reuse across public agencies.
How the tools work together
A government agency publishes rules via SmartRules.
An applicant visits eRnext, which is an AI agent that reads the rules, builds a dynamic form, collects any missing information from the applicant, reused data already stored in the applicant's private repository, or data already available in government databases, and validates it against the agency's formal and substantive conditions. Once submitted, the application data is recorded in the relevant registry, either directly with a pending status or through a temporary registry.
eApproval then orchestrates the review process. It doesn't move the data, but gives each reviewer access to the relevant information in the method and sequence defined in SmartRules, within the same repository. Each officer reviews only the data within its mandate. Officers can communicate with one another and with the applicant during the process. Once approved, certificates can be issued automatically by eApproval or by the registry.
Throughout the process, SmartLink connects all components through a secure interoperability layer, enabling data exchange across systems.
Designed for the AI era
OpenGov is designed for a public administration model in which digital tools and AI can reliably apply clearly defined rules and support governance. This shifts the focus from manual, procedural checks to automated, substantive compliance, allowing government officers and agencies to focus on policy outcomes and service quality.
It is built on a "configure, don't‑code" approach, which ensures that governments can adapt quickly as AI evolves, without relying on scarce developer resources.
A proven, light and open model
OpenGov builds on two decades of UNCTAD experience and is designed for the long‑term. However, the infrastructure of OpenGov is lighter, easier to install and operate.
- All tools are open‑source, released under permissive licenses, so governments can use, adapt, and extend them without vendor lock-in.
- Refined through practical use and shared experience rather than imposed in the abstract, the core specifications are designed to evolve into United Nations standards. They are open foundations: any government, company, or developer can build new tools on their basis, or reuse and adapt the OpenGov tools themselves.
- This model aligns with the G20's call for regulatory simplification and innovation, providing a concrete path from policy commitment to operational reality.
Current status
OpenGov builds on UNCTAD's eRegistrations and eRegulations platforms, already operational in over 60 countries. All components will be released as open source by the end of 2026. They are currently in the design phase, with pilots underway in a few countries.
UNCTAD is starting work with interested countries to agree on a standard international set of parameters for SmartRules to use.
In summary
OpenGov represents a new generation of digital government: modular, AI‑ready, and user‑centric. It gives governments the means to publish clear registrations rules, connect siloed data, guide applicants, and conduct accountable reviews.
Through open standards and open tools, it offers governments and private actors to freely use, adapt, and extend OpenGov's tools, or build new ones on the same core specifications. OpenGov makes regulatory simplification operational and provides a practical foundation for digital government in the AI era.