This seminar represents another step in the direction charted by the President of the Bank, Enrique V. Iglesias, at the Annual Meetings of the Board of governors in Paris and New Orleans:

"A fundamental reason why our region can boast one of the strongest growth rates in the twentieth century yet still have such widespread poverty and inequality is that its political systems are not functioning well. With few exceptions, our public policies have been ineffectual, not because the underlying technical design is deficient but because, in the absence of a broad democratic institutional base, it has been very difficult for governments to truly address the needs and aspirations of the citizenry" (15/3/99). "Once we acknowledge that institutions are indeed important, we must likewise acknowledge the importance of politics, since the calibre of a country’s institutions depends essentially on the quality of its political system. Politics are the most sensitive and most visible expression of the linkage between institutions and the economy. Let there be no mistake, then: politics matter. As far as the functioning of economies is concerned, politics matter far more than had been acknowledged heretofore" (27/3/00).

This seminar will examine, from a multidisciplinary perspective, the basic facets of what has come to be known as "good government" and, in light of the experience of developed countries and Latin America and the Caribbean, will explore the lines of activity and programs for reform that guarantee the democratic, political, and legal environment so crucial for sustainable, equitable development. Against this backdrop, the seminar will review the basic conditions for "good government", with major emphasis on specific activities (such as strengthening of the rule of law, political reform, checks and balances, and participation by civil society) that governments should undertake with the support of international cooperation. Special attention will be paid to the challenges of electoral reform as an underlying condition for good government. The seminar is thus designed as a tool for programmatic clarification (what should be done) and legitimacy (why it should be done) in institutional and political reform.

Contact: Fernando Carrillo - fernandoca@iadb.org
9:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m.

Opening and Welcome
Enrique V. Iglesias, President, Inter-American Development Bank
José Miguel Insulza, Minister of the Interior, Chile
______________________________________________________________________________________
10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Panel 1: Democracy and Development

Moderator:
Andrés Allamand, Adolfo Ibañez University, Chile

Speaker:
Edmundo Jarquín, Chief, State, Governance and Civil Society Division, Sustainable Development Department, Inter-American Development Bank

Commentators:
Danilo Arbilla, President, Inter-American Press Association, Uruguay
Marta Lagos, Latinobarómetro, Chile
Rigoberto Queme, Mayor, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
Guillermo Campero, Advisor to the President, Chile
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
11:00 a.m.-11:45 p.m.
Discussion
______________________________________________________________________________________
11:45 p.m.-12:45 p.m.
Panel 2: Good Government and Electoral Systems

Moderator:
Fernando Carrillo, Inter-American Development Bank

Speaker:
José Woldenberg, Instituto Federal Electoral, Mexico

Commentators:
Mónica Jiménez, Participa, Chile
James Webb S. J., Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections, Jamaica
Rafael Rocangliolo, Transparencia, Peru
John Biehl, former Minister-Secretary General of the Presidency, Chile
______________________________________________________________________________________
12:45 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Discussion
______________________________________________________________________________________
1:30 p.m.
Closing Remarks
Fernando Zumbado, International Centre for Human Development, Costa Rica
Carlos M. Jarque, Manager, Sustainable Development Department, Inter-American Development Bank
______________________________________________________________________________________