Deputy Secretary-General, in address to global forum on reinventing government,

underscores importance of restoring public trust

 

The following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro’s address to the seventh Global Forum on Reinventing Government, as delivered in Vienna, today, 26 June:

It gives me great pleasure to welcome all of you to the seventh Global Forum on Reinventing Government.  The Secretary-General also sends his very warm regards and best wishes.  He had hoped to be here today but certain urgent matters prevented him from making his travel.  However, he wanted me to convey to all of you how proud he –- and all our colleagues –- are that the UN is hosting this Forum for the very first time.

The UN has many partners in this effort.  The Government of our host country Austria, and the Governments of France, Italy, and the Republic of Korea have all provided crucial financial backing to this initiative.  They deserve our very special thanks.  I would also like to acknowledge the contributions of the many private sector organizations that have sponsored this gathering.

The combined efforts of the United Nations and our many collaborators have helped establish the Global Forum as the pre-eminent international event devoted to improvements in governance.  When launched by the United States in 1999, this gathering brought together several hundred Government officials.  By its sixth and most recent iteration in 2005, it drew more than 8,000 individuals.

These numbers underscore the tremendous success enjoyed by the Forum.  In recent years, it has become the venue for senior officials from every region to meet with their international counterparts, civil society representatives, private sector organizations, experts in various fields and international organizations.  It is a place to exchange ideas and develop strategies for improving governance and public administration in our complex and ever-changing world.  And it is an occasion to showcase new initiatives and innovations.  

Excellencies, most of all, though, this event has prospered because of the great and growing recognition accorded to matters of governance across the world.  The outcome of the 2005 World Summit embraced good governance as essential to the UN’s work in peace and security, human rights and development.  In fact, there is now broad agreement that good governance is an essential foundation for any policy agenda at any level, whether global or local, national or regional.

Of course, agreement on the need for good governance is only the starting point.  Progress also requires a consensus on the basic attributes of such an Administration.  Governance, at its essence, is the fair exercise of power through participatory, transparent and accountable processes.  It rests on the rule of law and respect for human rights.  It requires effective, efficient and predictable public institutions and administrative machinery, staffed by professional, competent and honest public employees.  It also requires administrative structures and processes that allow citizens to have a say in the public policy decisions that most affect them.  And it provides means by which the governed can monitor and evaluate public goods and services.

The real challenge is to translate these ideals into practical realities.  This is why we are all here at the seventh Global Forum: to learn from one another about how governance and public administration can be improved.

Good governance depends on effective institutions that fulfil their mandates, coordinate their work with other organizations and incorporate and reflect the priorities of the populace.  It also hinges on our ability to work cooperatively to advance toward those objectives that are mutually beneficial and have the potential to improve conditions for our societies as a whole –- whether we are talking about the national, subregional or international level.  This demands partnerships, but it also requires a basic presumption of trust. 

Trust is a fundamental governance need in all countries.  Yet, it remains in short supply.  Consider the following startling finding: the United Nations Development Programme recently surveyed 60 countries, both developed and developing, and asked nearly a half million people a simple question: “Do you feel you are a part of your Government?”  Almost 90 per cent said “No”.

Clearly, trust in Government, and in governance, needs to be restored.  This Forum is well placed to lead the way by examining this vital issue from a variety of angles.  Over the coming week you must ask -– and I hope answer -– how Governments can better manage and meet the expectations of citizens.  How can public sector processes be made more transparent and accessible?  Does improved service delivery and access influence levels of trust?  What legislative and institutional changes are needed to raise civil society engagement and participation?  How can elections and parliamentary business be conducted to increase trust?  What forms of public-private partnerships foster trust?  And how can trust be built after conflicts and during reconstruction?

Your answers to these questions will be heard, studied and adhered to by Governments, civil society organizations and the private sector.  They will also be taken to heart by the United Nations itself.

As many of you know, ladies and gentlemen, building trust has been high on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s agenda from his first day in office.  Indeed, on taking the oath of office, the Secretary-General singled out “the good name of the United Nations” as one of its most valuable –- and most vulnerable -– assets.  He reminded his colleagues that the Charter calls on staff to uphold the highest levels of efficiency, competence and integrity.  And, promising to lead by example, he dubbed his mission “Operation Restore Trust”!

That is why Mr. Ban has already made his financial disclosure public –- the first Secretary-General to do so -– and he has encouraged all of his senior managers to release theirs as well.  And for avoidance of doubt, I have already disclosed mine. 

Greater transparency by UN officials is but one example of our efforts to restore public trust.  This Forum will no doubt consider and debate other such innovations.  Today and tomorrow, you will hear from some of the world’s leading authorities on governance.  And throughout this week you will have many opportunities to discuss different perspectives, exchange expertise, forge partnerships and devise governance strategies that work.

I can tell you that both the Secretary-General and I eagerly await the outcomes of your discussions.  We believe they can help guide our ongoing attempts to make the United Nations the best it can be.  And we know that “Operation Restore Trust” can certainly benefit from your combined experience and expertise.

So, thank you for being here this week, and for contributing to our global efforts.  Together, I remain confident that we can not only build trust in Government and in the United Nations, but also bring people everywhere to believe in a more hopeful future for themselves and for the world.

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For information media • not an official record