7th Global Forum on Reinventing Government issues Vienna declaration

More than 3,000 government officials from around the world attended the four-day forum, titled 'Building Trust in Government' held at the UN headquarters in Vienna, Austria, from 26-29 June. The forum also witnessed the presentation of the findings of eight regional forums, including the 2nd Arab Regional Forum on Reinventing Government, organised by the Dubai School of Government (DSG).

The Vienna Declaration focused on several areas which need urgent action for a better government-people interaction. Among other issues, the declaration called for the separation of executive and legislative branches of government while maintaining judicial independence; prioritizing service delivery and access; increasing transparency and accountability to combat corruption; improving access to information and communication technology; supporting effective civil society engagement; enabling public-private partnerships; promoting innovations in public sector reform and rebuilding trust in crisis as well as post-conflict countries.

Eight regional forums including Asia, Arab states, Pacific islands, the Caribbean, Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Latin America, which were held in 2006 in preparation for the Global Forum, presented their findings in Vienna. The presentation was chaired by Guido Bertucci, Director of the Division for Public Economics and Public Administration, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations.

The forum also urged international development partners including bilateral donors and the UN to support developing countries to strengthen their public administration and governance capabilities.

Participants agreed to support a global network of innovators to share ideas and experiences, and allow the Global Forum on Reinventing Governments to act as an observatory, in order to organize ministerial round tables and meet periodically to review their progress.

The Arab delegation to the Global Forum on Reinventing Governments, led by the Dubai School of Government, had more than 100 government officials from 14 Arab countries.

The 2nd Arab Regional Forum on Reinventing Government, organised by the Dubai School of Government (DSG) in April 2006, had made its recommendations for improving governance in the Arab world.

H.E. Zouheir M'Dhaffer, Minister for Administrative Development, Tunisia, presented the Arab Regional Forum recommendations which included strategies and policy directions to promote innovation and excellence in government performance across the Arab region.

In his presentation at the 7th Global Forum, M'Dhaffer reiterated the Arab forum's call to streamline exchange of information among member countries. Other issues which figured prominently included the critical role of sharing knowledge on innovations in governance and communication among all stakeholders, especially the marginalized population segments.

The findings of the Arab regional forum stressed the importance of equipping government officials with the knowledge to provide the most suitable environment for attracting investment, stimulating economic growth, creating jobs and improving the standard of living. Public sector organizations were urged to maintain the delicate balance between their welfare services and efficiency in operation.

Other findings included decentralization of service delivery and monitoring; the utilization of partnerships; the use of information communications technology; and, the engagement of citizens to develop a sense of ownership.

The recommendations are expected to lay the foundation to expand the scope of government from a provider of public services to a facilitator of development and social change.

Since its establishment in 2004, Dubai School of Government has been focusing on promoting good governance by enhancing the region's capacity for effective public policy. DSG has worked with governments from the Arab world to achieve this goal.

Committed to the creation and dissemination of knowledge, the school collaborates with international institutions such as Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in its research and training programmes.

In addition to organizing and participating in regional and international forums that explore the opportunities and challenges facing modern day governments, it has developed a number of executive education programmes tailored to their needs.