Public sector must constantly challenge itself to improve - Annan
In a message delivered by Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Jose Antonio Ocampo, Mr. Annan said, "It is widely recognized that good governance is essential to our ability to reach the Millennium Development Goals.
"It is also understood that good governance requires the state, civil society and the private sector to work better together so as to be more responsive and accountable to the citizenry. That means the public sector must challenge itself continuously to improve the way it does business."
The eight Millennium Development Goals set parameters governments must meet if extreme poverty is to be halved by 2015.
The Mexican Government's agenda for "doing more with less" gave conference participants opportunities to learn from Mexico's experiences, to strengthen South-South cooperation in sharing best practices and to forge alliances, Mr. Annan said.