Regional United Nations forum delegates confer on public sector integrity at Dubai School of Government gathering

Over 40 high-level government and civil society delegates from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen outlined the different degrees of progress towards engaged governance across the Arab region. The Forum reviewed the promising efforts of some Arab countries towards integrity, transparency and accountability, including in some cases the establishment of an independent judiciary, the creation of specialized oversight parliamentary committees, the review of civil service rules and decentralisation policies, and stronger financial and managerial audits.

Nabil Al Yousuf, Executive Director, DSG, hosted the Forum in Dubai, which is the precursor to the Arab Region participation at the 6th Global Forum on Reinventing Government in Seoul, Republic of South Korea in May 2005.

Modernisation is essential and is on the way, Forum delegates heard, particularly in civil service management and in the ways policy is formulated, and decisions are made and implemented. The capacity of parliaments to oversee government actions and assess their performance needs to be backed up and their legal mandate reinforced, according to delegates. Budding civil society needs assistance to learn how to oversee public behaviour together with a media that is still working towards vibrancy in the Middle East.

The 3-day Forum showcased in-depth case studies from Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen, Morocco, Tunisia and Sudan. Speakers highlighted the fact that Arab administrations share many similarities, so that seeking solutions together and networking for joint efforts only increased their capacity to improve quality and raise the standards of public sector management.

Forum discussions, which included presentations from the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the UN and the TIRI Organization (UK), emphasised the need for ongoing cooperation among Arab countries with UN agencies and other development partners. Experience sharing, continuous learning and mutual support would build capacity to reinforce legal systems and reinvent administrative rules and procedures.

UNDESA presented lessons learned from a Regional Survey on Public Sector Transparency and Accountability, while the TIRI Organisation gave the big picture with Mapping The Integrity Movement In The World.

Both Guido Bertucci, Director, Division for Public Administration and Development Management, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations and Adel Abdellatif UNDP Regional Coordinator, Programme for Governance in the Region of Arab States thanked DSG for hosting the event, which is also supported by the Dubai International Financial Centre, as well as Shell and National Bank of Dubai (NBD).