Here - SAARC Human Resource Development Centre

SAARC Human Resource Development CentrePrinciples of Good GovernanceContinued ...7. Transparency – is built on the free flow of information.Processes, institutions and information are directly accessible tothose concerned with them, and enough information is provided tounderstand and monitor them.8. Equity – all men and women have opportunities to improveor maintain their well being. Rule of Law – legal frameworksshould be fair and enforced impartially, particularly the laws onhuman rights.9. Effectiveness and efficiency – Processes and institutionsproduce results that meet the needs of society while makingthe best use of resources at their disposal.It also meanssustainable use of natural resources and the protection of theenvironment.Governance and Sustainable Development Sustainable Development primarily hinges uponjudicious use of resources there is heavy dependence onthe primary resource base as a source of rurallivelihoods, and it is likely to remain so in the foreseeablefuture in most developing countries. Whether economicactivities are industrial, agriculture, forestry or fisherybased, increasing pressure to produce more using lessland, water, forest and biodiversity resources raisesconcern that human economic activities may not besustained in the long term when the natural resourcebase is being eroded.Relationship between Sustainable Developmentand Good GovernanceSustainable development and good governance arerelated in the following way: Sustainable Development, with its central focus onraising the quality of participation by local societies and thusbetter achieving self-reliant economic development and socialjustice, is one important form of people-oriented development. Good governance is the foundation of sustainabledevelopment in as much as it provides the governmentfunctions needed to promote social justice, participatorydecision making and transparent and judicious use ofresourcesRelationship between Sustainable Developmentand Good Governance Continued ... The projection of the concept of good governance onto thenational system--an orientation of a state--progressivelyboosts people's trust in their government, in as much as,through good governance, government services improve ineffectiveness and efficiency. Thus in the long run, good governance evolves intostronger aspirations for further democratization.The strength of a state's desire for democracy alsoinfluences the process of formation of political andadministrative structures and government's capability totranslate this national stance into action. In turn, this, too,influences the evolution of sustainable development.Is “Good Governance” a GoodSustainable Development Strategy?- “Good governance” is indeed a key factor in the establishment of confidencein developed countries by systemically procuring, via compliance with formalrules, a high degree of security. This security, in turn, procures a decisiveadvantage in a society’s capacity to produce wealth.- As all societies have done for thousands of years, developing societiesoperate under a mode of confidence production that is based on personalrelationships. Yet, demographic transition and growing urbanizationinevitably cause these societies to enter a process by which social relationsare depersonalized. This depersonalization weakens the traditional factors inthe production of confidence in these societies.- Developed societies operate according to a radically different mode ofconfidence production, as it is based on impersonal rules that apply to allregardless of the intrinsic characteristics of each individual. Thus, institutionsare separate from people. This detachment, the fruit of lengthy elaboration offormal rules, systemically ensures high confidence that rules will be followed.Is “Good Governance” a GoodSustainable Development Strategy?Continued ...The recommended “good governance” measures aim to establishthe mode of confidence production at work in developed countries.In fact, they amount to dictating that institutions (rules) beformalised and made universally applicable (separate frompeople)In this way, a new and broader concept of governance emerges,namely “good governance for sustainable development”,which covers various institutional arrangements thatproduce confidence leading to full participation in decisionmaking enhancing the quality of life of the people38