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2013 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

Good Governance and the Global Economic Crises: A New Opportunity for UNDP? Comparing WB and UNDP Good Governance Rhetoric

Author : Tor Halvorsen

Published in: In Search of Better Governance in South Asia and Beyond

Publisher: Springer New York

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Abstract

There is no agreement on what should be contained in the category “Good Governance.” It is essentially a contested term. Both what is “good” and what is “governance” call for long and unresolved academic discussions.

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previous chapter Improving Governance: Lessons Learnt
next chapter Failed States and the Lack of Good Governance: A Causal Explanation
Footnotes
1
As reported in the Economist (September 8th 2012, even to the biggest development project of South Asia, the Bangladesh bridge over Padma river is stopped due to suspicion of corruption. The WB in this case shows more concern than other donors, particularly those located in the Asian region.
 
2
From the same newspaper article: “She added that the lack of equality by these institutions is unfair and they should be changed so that they become democratic and transparent and also tell the countries the possible implications of what they are advising poor countries to do. ‘They are all dominated by the central countries and the interests they serve are not for developing countries. The conditions they impose on our countries to give them money affect the sovereignty of the countries and parliaments should keep an eye on what their governments are signing,’ Ms Escuredo said.”
 
3
In Thailand, the IMF was called “I Am Fired” because of its recommendation to downsize employees as a strategy for economic recovery.
 
4
According to the experts on UNDP, its focus on social processes rather than design (as I would formulate it) can be seen to be not only politically, but also ethically different from the WB due to the different embeddedness of these organization in democratic versus economic powers: “the egalitarian voting system of the UN and the economically weighted system of the Bretton Woods institutions have created a substantial philosophical gap between these two types of multilateral institutions. The latter have accepted the defense of the principles of the market economy above any other type of principle, including ethical ones” (Clair 2004, op. cit. p. 188).
 
5
In the newsletter it is typically argued that “In the community of nations, governance is considered “good” and “democratic” (my emphasis) to the degree in which a country’s institutions and processes are transparent. Its institutions refer to such bodies as parliament and its various ministries.  Its processes include such key activities as elections and legal procedures, which must be seen to be free of corruption and accountable to the people. A country’s success in achieving this standard has become a key measure of its credibility and respect in the world. Good governance promotes equity, participation, pluralism, transparency, accountability and the rule of law, in a manner that is effective, efficient and enduring.  In translating these principles into practice, we see the holding of free, fair and frequent elections, representative legislaturesthat make laws and provide oversight, and an independent judiciary to interpret those laws. The greatest threats to oood governance come from corruption, violence and poverty, all of which undermine transparency, security, participation and fundamental freedoms”.
 
6
“The Oslo Governance Centre (OGC) works to position UNDP as a champion of democratic governance, both as an end in itself, and as a means to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. This is done through knowledge networking and multi-disciplinary team work, as well as through close partnerships with leading policy and research institutions in different parts of the world” (01 Nov 12). The key areas of work are (op.cit): Conducting systematic analysis and reviews of UNDPs governance work around the globe aimed at learning from experiences in the field; based on the analysis and reviews, contributing to UNDP's programming and policy advisory services at the national, regional and global levels; supporting countries to conduct nationally owned and driven democratic governance assessments that serve to strengthen democratic governance at the country level. Addressing new and emerging areas of democratic governance and building the capacity of UNDP's front-line staff to address these new challenges” (op.cit).
 
7
“This definition recognizes that power is essentially about relationships—between the state, social groups and individuals, or between the state, market forces and civil society. Unless we as development practitioners understand those relationships and the processes that change them, we will not be as effective in supporting the building of responsive, legitimate and resilient states”. And they go on to argue: “Against this background, the Oslo Governance Centre is developing an approach for political economy analyses specific to the UNDP mandate, in order to support programming and policy processes including the facilitation of multi-stakeholder dialogues based on a rigorous analysis of country contexts and ongoing events”.
 
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Metadata
Title
Good Governance and the Global Economic Crises: A New Opportunity for UNDP? Comparing WB and UNDP Good Governance Rhetoric
Author
Tor Halvorsen
Copyright Year
2013
Publisher
Springer New York
Book
In Search of Better Governance in South Asia and Beyond

Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-7371-8

Electronic ISBN: 978-1-4614-7372-5

Copyright Year: 2013

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7372-5_4

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