Social Development and Public Governance > State, Governance and Civil Society > Civil Society
"New Frontiers in State Reform" Seminar
March 27, 2004
Lima, Peru
The examination of State reform experiences in the countries of the region reveals the existence of two forms of inefficiencies: inefficiency in the relationship between the State and the market, which has limited the possibilities for economic growth; and inefficiency in the relationship between the State and the citizens, which has prevented the fruits of economic growth from reaching the entire population. These inefficiencies are related to each other and the most recent assessments have stressed that they can be explained by the persistent ?democratic deficit? in the region?s countries. Although the fact that all the member countries of the Bank in the region have democratic political regimes is a welcome one, it is evident that additional efforts are needed to consolidate democracy as a political system based on the rule of law.
Based on the Bank?s new Modernization of the State strategy, the seminar will examine through four panels these new frontiers in State reform that are being opened as a consequence of more emphasis being placed on the relationship between democratic governance and sustainable and equitable development.
Panel I: Democracy and Development: From democracy as a political regime to democracy as a system
Speaker: Fernando H. Cardoso, Former President of Brazil.
Commentators:
Elena Martínez, Regional Director of the UNDP
Andrés Allamand, Dean of the School of Government at the Adolfo Ibañez University in Chile.
Moderator:
Edmundo Jarquín, Chief of the State, Governance and Civil Society Division in the Sustainable Development Department, IDB.
Panel II: State, Market and Democracy: tensions and complementarities.
Speaker: Alejandro Foxley, Former Minister of Finance and current Senator of Chile.
Commentators:
Rebeca Grynspan, Former Vice President of Costa Rica and Director of the ECLAC office for Mexico and Central America.
Luis Rubio, General Director, Center for Research for Development (CIDAC), Mexico City.
Moderator:
Charles Philip Bassett, Executive Director for Canada. IDB.
Panel III: Public Policies, Social Inclusion and Democracy: the role of fiscal policy.
Speaker: José Antonio Ocampo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations.
Commentators:
Graciela Römer, Director of Graciela Römer & Associates, Communication and Public Opinion Studies.
Ana María Romero-Lozada, Minister of Women and Social Development, Peru.
Moderator:
Koldo Echebarría, Principal Public Sector Management Specialist of the State, Governance and Civil Society Division in the Sustainable Development Department, IDB.
Panel IV: Decentralization, Economic Development and Social Inclusion: Lessons from the European experience.
Speaker: Jordi Pujol, Former President of the Generalitat of Cataluña.
Commentators:
Roberto Junguito, Former Minister of Finance, Colombia.
Luis Thais, President of the National Council for decentralization,Peru
Moderator:
Rafael Roncagliolo, Director for Peru project of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA).
Last updated: 01/16/07
