OECD, MENA Ministers to meet on good governance for development (GfD) in Arab countries

21/11/2007 - A meeting at ministerial level of the Good Governance for Development (GfD) in Arab Countries Initiative will take place in Cairo, Egypt on 29 November 2007. This high-level meeting will provide a forum for ministerial delegations from Arab countries to present progress made and the outlook of their national public sector reform agendas. Ministers from Arab and OECD countries will review the Initiative's achievements and will be invited to agree on the Initiative's strategic directions and programme of work for 2008/10.

The meeting is jointly organised by the Egyptian Ministry of State for Administrative Reform, the OECD-MENA Governance Programme, and the United Nations Programme on Governance in the Arab Region (UNDP POGAR). It will be held under the high patronage of the Egyptian Prime Minister, H.E. Dr. Ahmed Nazif, and will be chaired by the Egyptian Minister of State for Administrative Development and GfD Steering Group Chair, H.E. Dr. Ahmed Darwish.

Press events

Media representatives are invited to attend two press events organised in the framework of the Ministerial Meeting at the Conrad Hotel in Cairo, 1191 Corniche El Nil, 11221 Cairo.

H.E. Mr. Angel Gurría, Secretary-General, OECD, H.E. Dr. Ahmed Darwish, Minister of State for Administrative Development, Arab Republic of Egypt and Dr. Adel Abdellatif, Chief-Regional Programme Division, Regional Bureau for the Arab States, United Nations Development Programme will brief media representatives on the meeting's objectives at 10 am in the Salon Diplomat.

At a press break at 6 pm in the Conrad Ballroom, H.E. Dr. Ahmed Darwish, Minister of State for Administrative Development, Arab Republic of Egypt and Chair of the GfD Steering Group and H.E. Ms. Gun-Britt Andersson, Co-Chair of the GfD Steering Group will summarise the meeting's outcomes. Journalist will then have the opportunity to address questions to all Ministers and high-level representatives attending the press break.

For further information and to register for the press conferences, journalists are invited to contact the OECD's Media Division (Tel. +33 1 45 24 97 00).
 
A Regional Governance Initiative driven by Arab Countries

The launch of the Good Governance for Development (GfD) in Arab Countries Initiative by Prime Ministers and Ministers from 18 Arab countries at a ministerial conference at the Dead Sea (Jordan) in February 2005 was a demonstration of Arab countries commitment to increase efforts in public sector modernisation.

The Initiative is designed to improve the quality and effectiveness of public governance. It is driven by Arab governments and capitalises on the immense potential offered by closer co operation between Arab and OECD countries. The GfD Initiative provides a unique forum for results-oriented regional policy dialogue and co operation. Through this innovative partnership, participating governments share experiences and know how on how to address governance challenges, design and implement reforms.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Development Programme on Governance in the Arab Region (UNDP-POGAR) support the GfD Initiative.