FOURTH GLOBAL FORUM ON REINVENTING GOVERNMENT

IN MARRAKECH, MOROCCO 11-13 DECEMBER

NEW YORK, 4 December -- Marrakech -- one of the traditional capitals of the Arab world, as well as the site of modern-day negotiations leading to the creation of the World Trade Organization -- will be the venue of a 2002 ministerial-level global meeting on making governments more responsive to citizens and private sectors, modernizing their operations and reconciling the values of local societies with the sweeping culture of globalization.

The Fourth Global Forum on Reinventing Government takes place 11 to

13 December, organized by the Government of Morocco with support from the United Nations and the World Bank.  More than 1,200 participants from over 100 countries will meet in the Palais des Congres in Marrakech, including Rafiq Hariri, the Prime Minister of Lebanon;  Apolo Nsibambi, the Prime Minister of Uganda; Moroccan Prime Minister Driss Jettou; Nigerian Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; more than

40 national ministers; and up to 20 mayors; along with governance experts, chief executive officers and civil society leaders.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan will be represented at the Forum by Under-Secretary-General Mervat Tallaway, the Executive Director of the Beirut-based United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).

Discussion of means to implement substantial governmental reforms will be organized into four parallel sessions, each chaired by a political leader or eminent expert.  Reports from session leaders and a final official statement will be issued at the closing plenary meeting, 2:30 to 4 p.m., 13 December.

The Forum itself will be preceded by two days of intensive training sessions for high-level government officials, 10 to 11 December, organized by the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, Transparency International and other institutions, and sponsored by the Government of Italy.  Twenty-nine ministers and 10 mayors are scheduled to participate in the exercises.

“The Forum will deliver a strong message in favour of good governance and partnerships for democracy and development”, said Guido Bertucci, Director of the United Nations Division for Public Economics and Public Administration.  “It will identify concrete means to improve functioning of the public sector and to redefine governance modes and priorities.”

                                    - 2 -             Press Release PI/1450

                                                                    DEV/2406

                                                      4 December 2002

The Global Forum on Reinventing Government is held once a year.  The First Global Forum, hosted by the United States, took place in Washington, D.C., in

1999.  Succeeding Forum venues were Brasilia and Naples, sponsored respectively by the Governments of Brazil and of Italy.

Action on issues relating to governance, democracy and the role of the State have taken on increasing urgency since the first Global Forum was held.  Quality of governance is considered to be a central factor in rebuilding war-torn countries and in healing societies divided by ethnic or religious tensions.  It is also judged to be critical in enabling countries to hold their own in the rising tide of globalization, and to implement the goals of the United Nations Millennium Declaration.  Good governance is a central component of the recently approved New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), and governance criteria are now incorporated in most development assistance prorammes.  Drives against corruption are underway at multilateral bodies ranging from NEPAD and the United Nations General Assembly to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Several major side events are taking place in association with the Forum:

-- On 9 December, development practitioners from Arab countries will meet to establish criteria to assess how well government programmes work for the poor.

-- Also on 9 December, Arab development practitioners will review anti-corruption and accountability programmes.

-- South African Minister of Public Service and Administration Geraldine Fraser Moloketi will address a 12 December meeting on “Building e-governance capacity in African countries”.  Meeting recommendations will be forwarded to NEPAD.

-- Following the close of the Forum, 60 development practitioners will meet

14-15 December to review national experiences in decentralizing government.

   In addition, the grounds surrounding the Palais des Congres will be occupied by exhibitions from business and non-governmental organizations to present innovative ideas fields such as urban management, sanitary systems, e-health, e-learning, water and power supply, telecommunications and transportation. 

For more information on the Global Forum or to arrange interviews with United Nations officials, contact Tim Wall of the United Nations Department of Public Information, telephone 1-212-963-5851, cell phone in Marrakech after 8 December 1-917-815-0135, e-mail <wallt@un.org>.

For Conference documents and background materials, and to arrange media accreditation for the Fourth Global Forum, visit the Forum Web site at www.globalforum.ma.

* *** *