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The Third Steering Group Meeting at Ministerial Level of the Good Governance for Development (GfD) in Arab Countries Initiative took place in Cairo, Egypt on 29 November 2007. This high-level meeting provided a forum for ministerial delegations from Arab countries to present progress made with their national public governance reform agendas. Both Arab and OECD countries have expressed their strong commitment to the Initiative’s future strategic directions and programme of work for 2008-10. (link to agenda - arabic, english, french)
The meeting has been hold under the high patronage of the Egyptian Prime Minister, H.E. Dr. Ahmed Nazif, and has been chaired by the Egyptian Minister of State for Administrative Development and GfD Steering Group Chair, H.E. Dr. Ahmed Darwish. The meeting brought together high level representatives from international organisations, 11 Arab and 24 OECD countries. (link to list of participants)
The meeting outcomes are summarised in the chairs conclusions. (link to chair's conclusions)
Good Governance at the center of regional interest
Like many countries around the globe today, Arab governments face new challenges posed by globalisation, new technologies and growing expectations of citizens. Citizens expect their government to put the principles of good governance into practice, for example, by reducing administrative burdens, introducing merit-based hiring and promotion, preventing corruption, and providing administrative services online.
“Good Governance is about improving efficiency, transparency, and accountability – three essential elements for building high performing economies and fair societies”, stated OECD Secretary-General Mr. Angel Gurría in his opening speech. “Effective and responsive government services are a precondition for the socio economic development of a country”, noted Mr. Gurría. Good governance is a cornerstone for growth, development and government’s competitiveness in a globalised world.
Arab governments face particular challenges in improving public services and achieving economic growth while maintaining social cohesion. Good Governance provides a framework for adapting Arab countries’ public services to the needs of its population. Moreover, Good Governance is a precondition for fostering economic growth and assuring high levels of employment in response to the needs of a growing young population (60% of the population in the Arab world is under the age of 25).
An emerging concern – in OECD and Arab countries – is to engage citizens in policy making and to maintain trust in government. The involvement of civil society organisations and the communication with media is crucial to achieve better governance results and to implement reforms successfully. Minister Darwish and Mr. Gurría both noted that it is important to communicate governance reforms and their impact on the economy adequately to citizens.
From GfD I to GfD II
Driven by Arab government’s ownership, the three year implementation process (2005 07) of the GfD Initiative (GfD I) has led to concrete results and paved the way for innovative reform implementation and benchmarking projects in GfD II (2008 10).
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Regional policy dialogue and capacity-building activities have contributed to a better understanding of common challenges, to improved public policies and concrete reform outcomes in the areas of e government, administrative simplification, regulatory reform, budgeting, human resource management and anti-corruption.
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OECD and Arab Countries regularly participate in national and regional study visits and pilot projects. For example, in 2007, government officials from Tunisia and Switzerland organised a study visit to exchange on their experiences in multi-lingual law drafting to improve the quality of regulations and laws, and Belgium has provided advice to Jordan and Lebanon on merit-based recruitment and the promotion of civil servants. In response to the requests of Arab governments, more country specific studies and regional pilot projects will be undertaken in the second phase of the Initiative.
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Arab governments suggested working increasingly towards the collection of comparative governance data and the benchmarking of reform progress. OECD will support Arab governments in this project by providing expertise in collecting and analysing data and in developing benchmarking tools and best-practice guidelines.
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The GfD Initiative supports to the creation of regional training and expertise centres to promote regional capacity-building activities. Several feasibility studies were undertaken in GfD I, and in GfD II, the following projects are anticipated: the launching of a Regional Tax and Financial Management Centre in Cairo, a Regional Centre for Public Policy Evaluation in Rabat and a Regional Centre of Expertise for Quality in Regulation in Tunis.
“The experience of the past three years shows the importance of integrating the participation of the different actors of the initiative in an effective institutional framework”, noted Ambassador Andersson in her opening speech. She suggested to keep the existing institutional framework, which facilitates the interaction of the Initiative’s regional (Steering Group & Regional Working Groups & National coordination committees) and permanent structures (OECD Public Governance Committee & OECD/UNDP Secretariat).
Building on the results and lessons-learned of GfD I, four strategic directions have been identified by GfD stakeholders together with the OECD/UNDP Secretariat for 2008 10 (GfD II):
1. Deepening policy dialogue, knowledge and capacity building at the regional level
2. Fostering peer advice and partnerships for reform at the national level
3. Monitoring and measuring progress both in the public sector and the judiciary system
4. Anchoring the GfD Initiative in a regional framework of institutions and networks for reform
Background Documents
Information note on the GfD Initiative (arabic, english, french)
Achievements and Directions (english, french)
Programme of Work 2008-2009 (english)
Presentations delivered during the conference
Opening Session
Egypt - Dr. Ahmed Darwish, Minister of State for Administrative Development (arabic/english)
OECD - Mr. Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General
UNDP - Dr. Adel Abdellatif, Chief of Regional Program Division, Regional Bureau of Arab States (RBAS)
Sweden - Ambassador Ms. Gun-Britt Andersson, GfD Steering Group Co-Chair
Session 1
Bahrain - Mr. Ahmed Al Bahar, Minister, Civil Service Bureau
Palestinian National Authority - Dr. Samir Abdullah, Minister of Planning
Morocco - Mr. Azzedine Diouri, Secretary-General, Ministry of Public Sectors Modernisation
Syria - Professor Maher Mujtahed, Secretary General, Syrian Cabinet
Tunisia - Mr. Zoheïr M'Dhaffer, Minister delegate to the Prime Minister
Session 2
Sweden - Ambassador Ms. Gun-Britt Andersson, GfD Steering Group Co-Chair
Jordan - Mr. Omar Ali, Consultant Executive Privatization Commission
Morocco - Mr. Azzedine Diouri, Secretary-General, Ministry of Public Sectors Modernisation
Tunisia - Mr. Zoheïr M'Dhaffer, Minister delegate to the Prime Minister
United States - Mr. David Luna, Director, US State Department
Reports on activities and achievements of the Working Groups
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