Asian leaders to focus on government reforms at UN backed meeting

Ministers, senior government representatives, academics, members of civil society and representatives of the private sector are expected to gather in Seoul tomorrow for the United Nations-backed Regional Forum on Reinventing Government in Asia.

The event will also see the launch of the first-ever UN Project Office on Governance. Based in Seoul, the office will act as a regional and international focal point for research, training and advocacy in improving governance.

“The new Office will act as a hub within Asia, where interested governments and stakeholders can seek and exchange information on the experiences of other countries in selecting and implementing innovations in governance that improve conditions for citizens,” said Guido Bertucci, Director of the UN’s Division for Public Administration and Development Management.

The two-day meeting, organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Korea, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Project Office on Governance, is one of six regional meetings taking place this year to provide policy recommendations for the Seventh Global Forum on Reinventing Government. To be held in June 2007 at the UN Office in Vienna, that meeting will tackle on the theme of “Building Trust in Government.”

“The theme for this year’s event is an important one which underlines a great many of the other objectives that we at the United Nations aim to achieve, in terms of development, security and the defense of human rights.” said José Antonio Ocampo, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.

With increasing demands on governments and a need to adapt effectively in today’s globalized world, the focus will be on the sharing of innovations and best practices. The meeting will assist governments and stakeholders to strengthen their governance and public sector capacities, take greater advantage of the potential of globalization and achieve development objectives.

The meeting will identify Asia-specific issues, challenges and responses within the sphere of public administration, the UN said in a news release. Key themes include: public sector capacity and innovations; service delivery and access; decentralization; transparency, accountability and e-government.

The Global Forum on Reinventing Government first began in 1999 and is part of an on-going effort by the UN and its members to improve the quality of governance and public administration world-wide. The first Global Forum was held in Washington D.C.