The International Open Data Conference on Data and the Culture of Openness, organized by the Metamorphosis Foundation through the USAID Citizen Participation Project, was held May 18-20, 2022. in the hotel "Holiday Inn" in Skopje, where NEXT-EM dooel had its presence. The three-day conference addressed issues related to the value of open culture and the role of open data in it, and open data was discussed from various perspectives.

The conference enabled the participants, through panel discussions, to share examples and experiences on topics related to the current state of open data in the Western Balkans, but also to innovative and practical solutions. One of the topics of the conference was the concept of open cities. The event brought together representatives of government institutions in the Western Balkans, NGOs and experts in the field of open data. In his welcoming address, the Director of the Metamorphosis Foundation Filip Stojanovski said that the International Open Data Conference is a continuation of the cooperation with USAID, emphasizing the importance of the Ministry of Information Society and administration throughout the process. USAID Representative James Stein said "open data" was a powerful tool. The Minister of Information Society and Administration Admir Aliti stated that the Ministry in cooperation with the Metamorphosis Foundation works to support institutions such as the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Interior, the Public Procurement Bureau, the Institute of Public Health and the General Secretariat of the Government. in the process on opening their data. The conference also had an educational character where the participants had the opportunity to attend a workshop on "Open Data Roadmap". The event ended with recommendations for active use of open data.