MEASURES TO SUPPORT ROLE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN DEVELOPMENT IDENTIFIED AT ASSEMBLY RESUMED SESSION
Press Release
GA/9061
MEASURES TO SUPPORT ROLE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN DEVELOPMENT IDENTIFIED AT ASSEMBLY RESUMED SESSION
19960417 Strengthening local government, decentralizing bureaucracies, promoting investment and enhancing the private sector were among measures that could be taken to support the role of public administration in development, speakers said this morning, as the General Assembly continued its resumed session on public administration and development.Speaking for countries from various regions and levels of economic development, representatives shared their experiences in reforming governmental structures to make them more responsive to the needs of the people. Many stressed that the United Nations had a key role to play in promoting that process of information sharing, as well as in executing specific projects through its agencies, such as the United Nations Development Programme.
Statements were made by the Director of the Division of Public Management Reform of the Finnish Institute of Public Management of Finland; Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel; Head of the Department for Administrative Reform of the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria; Minister of Administration and Development of Jordan; and a Professor of Administrative Science at the University of Athens, Greece.
Also addressing the Assembly were the representatives of Singapore, Venezuela, Albania, Iran, Kazakstan, Sweden and Nepal, as well as representatives of the Commonwealth Secretariat and the League of Arab States.
The Assembly will meet again at 3 p.m. today to continue its consideration of the role of public administration in development.
Assembly Work Programme
The General Assembly met this morning to continue its consideration of the role of public administration in development.
Statements
BILAHARI KAUSIKAN (Singapore) said that it was a conceit of professional economists to believe that economic development depended primarily on economic science. Developing countries that had tried to follow the East Asian model failed not because they did not know the correct policies, but because they lacked the socio-political underpinnings to make such policies stick. The most important of those were political stability and good governance.
"A good government is ultimately one that works", he said, and what would work in one country would not necessarily work in another. Singapore did not hold itself up as a model for anyone nor were there any models that could be applied anywhere. However, that did not mean that different models should not be studied.
In Singapore, political stability was based on the following three interrelated factors which collectively defined good government: political accountability; a long-term orientation; and social justice. That general approach to the role of government and the public sector had guided Singapore through economic challenges.
The philosophy of public sector management in Singapore followed two broad principles -- a free market economy and a high degree of outward orientation in the economy, he said. The Singapore Government supported its macroeconomic management role by providing a stable environment for businesses; by investing in infrastructure and manpower; and by facilitating the way for businesses and foreign investors who wished to come to Singapore.
The public sector and governments, he said, would continue to be decisive factors in determining economic growth, which was cause for hope rather than despair. "It means, to a large extent, that our destiny lies in our own hands."
ENRIQUE TEJERA PARIS (Venezuela) said in his country the laws were published and copies sold at newspapers stands. There were no numbered bills or laws or calls for partial reform, but a continuing commitment to inform citizens of their rights and duties. A trend towards corruption and bribery at the lower and middle levels of government had been met with strong public repudiation. No one respected a corrupt government, an ineffective judiciary, or a weak parliament.
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He called for priority to be given to the fight against corruption, through the speedy extradition of criminals and their "loot". There were major countries where domestic corruption was successfully prosecuted and the bribery of foreign officials was also condemned. Arms manufacturers had budgets to sway foreign officials and could even avoid taxes. However, the United States had laws which severely punished those who dared to bribe foreign officials; that example should be followed by all countries. Corruption, including administrative corruption, was a world-wide threat which must be addressed collectively.
He said many formulas and panaceas had been advanced to solve administrative problems. The success of each remedy depended on who was giving it, and to whom. The question of dosage was also important. Efforts in his country now focused on decentralization. However, new problems were arising, which must also be solved. In many cases, it was necessary to preserve infrastructure. It was also important to remain conscious of the link between planning and implementation, which was central to administration. The perception of clear aims and purposes was the greatest motivation to a public employee in his work.
SIRPA KEKKONEN, Director of the Division of Public Management Reform of the Finnish Institute of Public Management of Finland, said an efficient, effective and transparent public administration was a prerequisite for the development and management of public services in all countries. Finland had undergone a period of public sector reforms in order to improve the cost- effectiveness of its economy. The core of the reform was a transition to a performance-oriented public sector, with a special emphasis on accountability and an increased use of market mechanisms.
Budgetary and financial management systems, as well as the personnel management, were reformed, she said. Deregulation and regulatory reform were among the most important themes in the current reform agenda. Decentralization of authority was another important element. However, the current trends emphasized a need to strengthen the capacity for long-term visions, at the policy-making level. In general terms, the reform of the public sector should be strongly focused on the needs and rights of the citizen.
The United Nations had two major tasks in the area of public administration: to provide a global platform for the subject, and to be an agent for improving public administration and governance in developing countries. Those tasks did not require the creation of new structures, but rather could be channelled through existing structures, particularly the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
YOSSI BEILIN, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel, reviewing his country's history as a sovereign State, said it was safe to say that "privatization, decentralization and the delegation of authority, in
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tandem with enhanced coordination", were the cornerstones of Israel's efforts to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of its public service.
It would appear that every democratic country, including Israel and all those marching towards democratization and a free economy, shared a number of characteristics, he said. The reforms presently being implemented in Israel pursued four primary objectives, including reduction in the size of civil service, and a redefinition of the authority and size of government ministries as strategic staff agencies concentrating on policy formation, oversight, and systematic evaluation of operational programmes. Other objectives were improvement in the implementative and regulatory capabilities of executive bodies in management development, budgeting, wage policy and utilization of human resources, and the conversion of a number of administrative agencies into autonomous, profit-cost centres.
Application of those four goals was dependent on the application of three focal principles of public administrative reform: decentralization; delegation of authority; and personal accountability.
He said it was encouraging that similar governmental and administrative reforms were pursued in so many nations, indicating the degree to which other governments were conscious of the need to introduce measures for upgrading their public service capabilities.
PELLUMB KULLA (Albania) said his country had embarked on the path of democracy four years ago. Leaving a system in which everything was under State control, Albania was faced with the transition to a market economy. That involved decentralization, the separation of powers, establishing the rule of law, institutionalizing private property, and ensuring the functions of local government. In a short period of time, Albania had undertaken the privatization of medium-sized State enterprises, as well as of land. Control had been established over inflation, and a climate favourable to investment had been created.
Administrative reform had focused on how best to serve the taxpayers, and to support development at all levels, he said. The aim was to establish structures best suited to achieving those tasks. The roles of the various levels of administration needed to be precisely defined. Efforts must focus on improving the image of the civil servant. The number of employees in the administration must be monitored, and their salaries controlled under an integrated salary scale.
Several United Nations bodies were now involved in projects aimed at promoting the growth of Albania's private sector, he said. As part of the reform process, efforts were under way to advance the training and recruitment of employees in the civil services. The role of the courts with respect to administrative conflicts was being strengthened. Albania needed technical
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assistance from the United Nations and other international agencies, in order to implement relevant action plans which had received international approval.
MAJID TAKHT-RAVANCHI (Iran) said he supported the Secretary-General's view that the role, status and operation of public administration was tied to the unique socio-economic and political status of each country. Values and historical, philosophical and cultural backgrounds varied greatly. It would be "quite difficult, if not impossible", to identify and suggest a model for more effective and efficient public administration of development issues which would be uniformly applicable. Some of the Secretary-General's recommendations did not mentioned those principles and further assumed that a perfect and evolved sample of good governance could be found, which might be replicable by others.
Iran had inherited 17 years ago, among other things, an economy highly dependent on oil revenues and an inefficient government apparatus, he said. The situation had been aggravated by the imposition of a devastating eight- year war and natural and man-made disasters. Nevertheless, Iran sought to establish a new system based on democracy, freedom, independence and social justice, in accordance with national values. The first of the five-year plans, adopted towards the end of the last decade, included major steps for the establishment of a market economy and the strengthening of public administration. Iran's successes, furthered by the second five-year development plan, were numerous, including the increase of non-oil exports from 5 per cent to 30 per cent, budget deficit reduction, major infrastructure development, increases in food production, and literacy.
Iran's tasks in public administration were further facilitated by the adherence to Islamic values, he said. Its experience and successes indicated how effective and efficient the public sector could be if adapted to and motivated by the beliefs of the society it served.
AKMARAL Kh. ARYSTANBEKOVA (Kazakstan) cited the urgent need to enhance public administration and its application to the process of development. Her country welcomed the United Nations efforts to enhance the degree of transparency in the field of public administration. The promotion of public administration reform was also deserving of attention on the part of donor States. Through a consistent effort to liberalize its economy, Kazakstan was forming a market infrastructure, and more space was being given to private enterprise.
For the State, as well as the individual, the first five years of life was a period for active learning about the world, she said. The draft resolution before the Assembly addressed such broad questions as judicial and legal reform, and the strengthening of civil society. Kazakstan intended to strengthen State support for entrepreneurship and for the local organs of executive power, while continuing the decentralization of management.
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Reform efforts also aimed at strengthening the unity of the Republic and enhancing the ecological situation, he said. Fundamentally, new demands were being made of civil servants. Particular attention was being given to enhancing the system of social protection of the population. In May 1995, a United Nations-sponsored seminar on investment policy and switching to a market economy was held in Kazakstan. Her country would continue broadening such cooperation with the United Nations.
OGNYAN PANOV, Head of the Department for Administrative Reform of the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria, said that it was prudent to say that administrative reforms were "in the making" in many countries and practically all countries in transition. It was a process of critical importance for any new democratic society faced with the challenges of transition from a centrally planned economy to a market economy.
Over the past years, Bulgaria has realized that a new administration was needed, he said. Four characteristics, in particular, were sought. It should respond to the needs of society and its citizens. It should provide for social goals and market-economy regulations. It should support the private initiative and private sector promotion. Finally, it should achieve cost- effectiveness and efficiency.
The Bulgarian Government recently applied for full membership in the European Union, a complex process which would certainly impose higher standards on the country's administration, he continued. Within the next few years, Bulgaria hoped to achieve several objectives, including a performance- based evaluation of functions, structures and size of the State administration; decentralization, coupled with up-to-date training; the use of information technology; and the introduction of new incentives for quality service and professional skills.
The main responsibility of the United Nations system in dealing with public administration issues should rest on the Economic and Social Council and its subsidiary bodies. The UNDP should play a major role. A specific mandate should be envisaged for the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) as well. Greater complementarity between multilateral and bilateral cooperation programmes should be promoted.
KAMAL NASSER, Minister of Administration and Development of Jordan, said a comprehensive training plan for civil servants at all levels was currently being implemented in Jordan. Civil service regulations were being developed to ensure law, objectivity and justice in recruitment. A number of public agencies had been restructured to promote a focus on planning, control and follow-up, rather than on interference in direct production and implementation. A national information strategy had been formulated and a new public corporation to protect the environment had been established.
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The emphasis on the field of social development was on family and childhood concerns, poverty eradication, unemployment, special education, employment of the disabled, and the development of local social centres, he said. The United Nations was being asked to support Jordan's efforts to promote innovation in the private sector, encourage privatization of public agencies, and lay suitable grounds to attract investment. It was also asked to support Jordan in reducing the burden of its debts, so it might maintain its fiscal stability and contain inflation pressures.
He said the Government was highlighting the importance of investment in basic infrastructure. Jordan supported the idea of converting the Group of Experts into a United Nations body similar to the Statistical Committee and the Population Committee. It could be named the "Public Administration and Development Committee". Jordan also supported the idea of conducting an international conference to finance development. His Government was also in the process of issuing a national strategy to combat corruption and negative bureaucracy.
PETER OSVALD (Sweden) said his Government was reviewing its foreign and development cooperation policy with the aim of promoting peace, democracy and development. Those three objectives were closely interrelated. In most parts of the world today, the threat was not a foreign army, but rather poverty, environmental degradation and social and political tension nourished by misery and humiliation. "We have learned that a democratic culture provides greater potential for conflict prevention and resolution. Continued democratization within countries must be encouraged, underpinning a democratic international community", he said.
At the Social Summit in Copenhagen last year, participating countries agreed on the importance of democracy and transparent and accountable governance and administration, as indispensable foundations for the realization of social and people-centred sustainable development. It went without saying that one key factor in the follow-up of that commitment was the existence of professional public management at all levels of society.
"It is sad that this needs to be said. After a decade of simplistic messages about how much the market can do, it is time to recall the central and crucial role of public responsibility. That is what makes the difference between a social market economy and an unregulated market economy", he said. The development of a civil society and a democratic market economy required the development of appropriate and legitimate public institutions, including efficient local government, a system for selecting and training the civil service, as well as the participation of the community, including non- governmental organizations, minority groups, labour unions, and the people in general.
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He expressed appreciation of the idea of designating specific sessions of the Assembly to various themes of importance, "a working method that could be used more frequently when addressing global issues in the future".
NARENDRA BIKRAM SHAH (Nepal) noted that the United Nations was undergoing a process of reform not unlike the issue being discussed, and was supposed to "do more with less, with enhanced accountability, transparency, efficiency and representativeness, without, hopefully, losing sight of its basic Charter principles and commitment to humanity".
It was hardly possible to overemphasize the importance of the role of public administration in development, he said. Notwithstanding the increasing role of private enterprise and the non-governmental organizations, "it is the government which plays a central role" in developing basic infrastructure, combating socio-economic disparities, defining priority areas of development and other such essential functions.
His delegation was highly impressed with the Secretary-General's opening statement that democratization was the single most important factor for improved public administration. For Nepal, democratization and good governance were synonymous, and democracy was the only form of governance that provided a common and uniform incentive to public servants for maximum efficiency. Also, "only democracy places the people at the centre of all development endeavours". Nepal fully supported the draft resolution introduced by Morocco on Monday.
ANTHONY MAKRYDIMITRIS, Professor of Administrative Science at the University of Athens, Greece, said the spirit of reform had introduced an emphasis on cost-consciousness, efficiency, and lean and flexible management. However, when carried too far and dogmatically pursued, the paradigm of management-inspired reform might prove destabilizing and could undermine the critical capacity of governments to manage complex problems. "The world today is full of telling examples of success and failure stories", and there was a wealth of experience from which to draw conclusions.
The current era was one of rapid change and transformation, he said. It presented new challenges, risks and opportunities which affected human race as a whole. Such issues, as the world environment, rapid demographic growth, the massive displacement of populations and attendant human rights problems, were obvious examples. Whether those problems were satisfactorily resolved would depend, to a large extent, on the management and policy-making capacities of the administrative structures of Member States.
The United Nations role as a focal point for the exchange of data, experience, advice and models of reform was crucial, he said. The issue of public administration reform and development should be included as a regular item on the agendas of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social
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Council. A follow-up mechanism, such as a committee on public administration and development, should be set up. Regional and subregional initiatives should be welcomed, with the aim of establishing periodic opportunities for sharing experiences and exchanging views and information on matters concerning administrative modernization and development.
MOHAN KAUL, Director, Management and Training Services Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat, said the 1991 Harare Commonwealth Declaration identified just and honest government as a key component of Commonwealth values. Assistance to member States in the promotion of good governance and accountable administration had accordingly been included as one of the priority programme areas in the Secretariat's workplan. An efficient public service was a necessary underpinning of just and honest government.
Commonwealth cooperation in relation to public administration was facilitated by the many common features that existed among Commonwealth countries, regarding institutions, systems, traditions and values within the public service, he said. That had resulted in a considerable sharing of both problems and achievements among public servants and political leaders across the Commonwealth.
Many Commonwealth countries had adopted similar strategies for reforms, he said. Some of those reforms include the redefinition of the relationship between policy-making and administration; greater accountability, task definition and performance measurement; closer collaboration with the private sector; and the importance of the notion of quality service.
To further strengthen their cooperation, the Commonwealth Heads of Government agreed last year to endorse the Commonwealth Secretary-General's initiative on public service reforms, which aimed to provide an integrated programme of assistance to member countries, incorporating advice, training and policy analysis. The programme focused on the design of overall public service reform strategies; the implementation of specific components of reform programmes; and the development of national capacities to sustain reform. The initiative would be implemented in close collaboration with the United Nations and other agencies.
AHMED SAKR ASHOUR, Director-General of the Arab Administrative Development Organization, League of Arab States, said the United Nations should give more attention to the needs of the Arab region, including the need to strengthen agencies in charge of implementing development policies and programmes. It was also necessary to assist governments in rationalizing and developing the structures of public agencies. The capacity of local government agencies must also be strengthened, since they were closest to the needs of the citizens.
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Effective processes for dispute settlement improved the investment climate, he said. Systems for the administration of justice must, therefore, be strengthened. Performance management systems must be introduced in public agencies. Special importance must be given to rebuilding the capacity of government in countries which suffered from conflicts and armed struggles.
The role of United Nations agencies responsible for development and administrative reform must be reinforced, and they must interact more effectively with regional bodies, he said. The United Nations and other international and bilateral agencies must establish partnerships with counterpart agencies in recipient countries. There was a need to build a new model of relationship between donors and recipients. There must also be coordination of programmes offered by United Nations agencies and other international and bilateral agencies concerned with economic reform and administrative development. A permanent forum should be established for identifying and propagating the best administrative practices.
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