Arab countries to finalize 'National Action Plans' on Good Governance by May 2006

The National Action Plans will be presented at the Arab Ministerial Conference on Good Governance for Development scheduled for May 2006 at the Egyptian resort city of Sharm Al Sheikh. The plans will address key areas of economic and social development in the region with a special focus on using e-government as a tool for simplifying administrative operations.

Delegates discussed the need for aligning the proposed action plan in each country with technical assistance programmes provided by OECD countries and other international organisations. They discussed the future strategic direction for regional policy dialogue and policy reforms at a country level.

The forum was hosted by the Dubai School of Government in cooperation with the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) supported by The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The forum also discussed technical cooperation and exchange of experiences in public and private partnership frameworks as well as the idea of formulating good practice toolkits.

Setting criteria for evaluating e-government and measuring impact, and a Pan Arab e-government or solidarity fund were also among the ideas proposed during the meeting.

Declaring the Forum a success, Mr. Nabil Alyousuf, Executive President of the Dubai School of Government said: "We are happy with the level of progress achieved and our efforts to promote good governance in the initiative's member countries. We are confident that the forum's two-day discussions will result in purposeful action plans that will further support development goals within the region".

The meeting also emphasised that e-government models cannot be successful without considering and implementing administrative simplification plans, highlighting the need to develop national awareness strategies for educating government employees on new administrative simplification tools and principles, with specific training programs for decision makers.

Interactive sessions

During the event, Egyptian, Palestinian and Lebanese delegations presented briefs on progress achieved in their respective countries. Ireland, Dubai and Morocco also presented case studies on the development of their respective e-government programmes and impact on administrative simplification strategies.

In line with its commitment to facilitate dialogue among participant countries, Dubai School of Government provided a portal for delegates to exchange information, discuss action plans and post updates and country reports.

Pan-Arab initiative

The 'Good Governance for Development in Arab Countries' forum, held in Dubai on 6-7 of this month, was attended by senior government officials and decision-makers from over ten different Arab countries in addition to OECD delegates and E-government knowledge experts from Europe. The initiative was launched at a meeting of Arab Ministers hosted by Jordan from 6 - 7 February, 2005.

The Dubai School of Government is the first research and educational institution established in the region that focuses on public policy governance. It was established in 2004 under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The Dubai School of Government collaborates and coordinates with other international schools of Government such as Harvard University's John F Kennedy School to launch research programmes and to encourage the global exchange of views and experiences on public policies designed to develop the skills of the leaders and decision makers in the Arab region.