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Launch of the Partnership for Democratic Governance
Remarks by Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General
New York, 1 October 2007

Secretary Rice, Minister Foxley, Administrator Dervis, Ambassador Aboulayediop, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great privilege for me to speak at the launch of the Partnership for Democratic Governance (PDG).  I would like to thank Kemal Dervis for co-hosting this event and Secretary Rice and her team for their leadership and commitment in promoting this initiative.

The PDG holds great promise. Today, we are establishing a truly unique and innovative approach to good governance. The PDG is the only concerted international effort to assist developing countries to improve their governance and build sustainable capacity in their own institutions. Through this scheme, the international community will directly and effectively support service provision in fragile states, sharing “advanced government technology” to deliver core policy functions. By supporting developing countries in this key area we are opening additional avenues for economic development and wellbeing; very much in line with the Millennium Development Goals.

Your presence here as founding members of the initiative is a positive sign that we will indeed achieve our objectives. Many other countries have expressed their interest and this is reassuring. I am positive they will eventually join in. And let’s make it clear, this exercise is not driven by the interests of advanced countries. The PDG is a demand-driven initiative; one that welcomes South-South partnerships and encourages middle income donors to share their valuable expertise.

Developing the PDG has required a very careful crafting, to avoid duplication of other international efforts; but also to enrich this initiative with the lessons learned in the field of development co-operation. To make this a highly effective tool, we followed the Monterrey Consensus and the principles of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.

It is by no means casual that we have carefully incorporated concepts such as:  “Local ownership and demand driven action” or “Capacity development and exit strategies”.

The PDG is a flexible, innovative and incremental approach. It will give priority to requests for assistance with easily transferable technical skills, where results can be achieved with a small number of international personnel. Monitoring output through citizen feedback and accountability will be a key element.

As a hub of dialogue on global issues, the OECD can make a sound contribution. In fact, the PDG and its activities fit well within the OECD’s mandate on the political economy of reform, enlargement and enhanced engagement. It also fits well with our work on aid effectiveness, governance and fragile states. We are especially pleased to be taking forward this initiative with the UNDP, which will draw upon its global networks, its partnerships and field-presence to provide punctual advice and guidance.

Ladies and gentlemen: 

Development is a global challenge. I invite you to put your resources and imagination behind this innovative response to make a difference for the most vulnerable in the world.

Thank you very much.