Social Development and Public Governance > State, Governance and Civil Society
Seminar Regional Challenges to Governance
Seminar "Regional Challenges to Governance: Experiences and Practices in Asia and Latin America"
November 17-18 2003
ADB Headquarters, Manila, Philippines
Organized by:
Asian Development Bank
Inter-American Development Bank
SUMMARY
OVERVIEW:
Background:
The seminar, jointly organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), will contribute to the development of critical thinking about different approaches and effective policies and practices to managing good governance
There is a basis for exchange of regional and country experiences, and the role of regional development assistance. One in particular is the impacts and implications of market-driven economies, especially liberalization and financial crisis (mainly 1980s for Latin America and 1990?s for Asia) on the state and its capacities to manage the governance agenda. Liberalization of economies transformed the size and functions of governments, and to some extent weakened their capacity to deliver public services on a sustainable basis.In the wake of the financial crisis in the 1980?s, inherent weaknesses of public policy institutions were revealed in Latin American countries, similar to Asian countries during the 1990?s financial crisis.
The IADB and ADB signed a Partnership Agreement on the occasion of the 2001 IADB Annual Meetings in Santiago, Chile on 17 March 2001.The Agreement upholds the cooperation between the two institutions to design, develop, and implement inter-agency activities on regional development issues of common interest.
Objectives:
The main objective of the seminar is to critically examine and compare applied practices and strategies to overcoming governance challenges in selected countries of Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and the role of regional development assistance and regional institutions.The main issues identified for the seminar include effective instruments for civil service reform and anti-corruption, modernizing government institutions, and a more inclusive civil society. The seminar offers a rare opportunity for member-country experts and IADB and ADB practitioners to consider ways of applying different regional experiences and approaches to managing and sustaining good governance.
Audience:
The seminar will assemble a diverse group of governance practitioners primarily from member- countries of IADB and ADB, as well as staff-experts from the two agencies
Expected Outcomes:
The expected outcomes of the seminar will be an expanded understanding and possible knowledge application by participants of cross-regional and comparative approaches to managing good governance, particularly from the perspective of different countries in Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, as well as the impact of strategies, policies, and programs of the ADB and IADB. A publication of the seminar and its proceedings will be produced.
II.PROCEEDINGS
Session I: Regional Challenges and the Role of Regional Institutions
This session will provide an overview of the challenges in promoting good governance in the different regions covered by the two institutions and the strategy and priorities of the IDB and ADB to strengthen institutional policies and capacities. It will also set the tone for the exchange of knowledge and experiences for the two days of discussion.
Session II: Civil Service Reform
The session will provide a comparative analysis of country experiences in improving the civil service sector, particularly the underlying economic, political and structural issues leading to reform; how reform was implemented and the outcomes. Improvements in the management of human resources, in service delivery by public servants and in issues related to ethics in the civil service will be covered
Session III: Decentralization
The session will examine regional experiences of decentralization to (i) strengthen the efficiency and equity of the management and delivery of social services; and (ii) improve government performance and accountability.
Session IV: Anti-Corruption Strategies
The session will discuss the fundamental causes and effects of widespread and systemic corruption and the regional responses to plan, develop and implement viable anti-corruption measures. The ADB-OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative will be presented along with concrete reform examples from the Asian region.
Session V: State Reform and Civil Society Participation
The session will provide a comparative analysis of country efforts to (i) improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the state, and (ii) promote a more inclusive civil society for the framing,implementation, and evaluation of public policies.
Session VI: Comparative Lessons and Next Steps
The session will highlight specific challenges to good governance management in Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, particularly polices and practices that have had impact. It will also put forward issues and ideas to improve the management of governance through regional development assistance.
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Last updated: 03/27/07
