Hottest Topic! Good Governance in the country!!
These days Good Governance is a hot topic and therefore thought to figure what does it mean?
From Wikipedia
Good governance is an indeterminate term used in development literature to describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in order to guarantee the realization of human rights.[1] Governance describes "the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented)".[1] The term governance can apply to corporate, international, national, local governance [1] or to the interactions between other sectors of society.
Source of the article: Click here for the Source: UN ESCAPE
Good governance has 8 major characteristics. It is participatory,
consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and
efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law. It assures
that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into account
and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making.
It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society.
Figure 2: Characteristics of good governance
Participation
Participation by both men and women is a key cornerstone
of good governance. Participation could be either direct or through legitimate
intermediate institutions or representatives. It is important to point
out that representative democracy does not necessarily mean that the concerns
of the most vulnerable in society would be taken into consideration in
decision making. Participation needs to be informed and organized. This
means freedom of association and expression on the one hand and an organized
civil society on the other hand.
Rule of law
Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are
enforced impartially. It also requires full protection of human rights,
particularly those of minorities. Impartial enforcement of laws requires
an independent judiciary and an impartial and incorruptible police force.
Transparency
Transparency means that decisions taken and their enforcement
are done in a manner that follows rules and regulations. It also means
that information is freely available and directly accessible to those
who will be affected by such decisions and their enforcement. It also
means that enough information is provided and that it is provided in easily
understandable forms and media.
Responsiveness
Good governance requires that institutions and processes
try to serve all stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe.
Consensus oriented
There are several actors and as many view points in a
given society. Good governance requires mediation of the different interests
in society to reach a broad consensus in society on what is in the best
interest of the whole community and how this can be achieved. It also
requires a broad and long-term perspective on what is needed for sustainable
human development and how to achieve the goals of such development. This
can only result from an understanding of the historical, cultural and
social contexts of a given society or community.
Equity and inclusiveness
A society’s well being depends on ensuring that all its
members feel that they have a stake in it and do not feel excluded from
the mainstream of society. This requires all groups, but particularly
the most vulnerable, have opportunities to improve or maintain their well
being.
Effectiveness and efficiency
Good governance means that processes and institutions
produce results that meet the needs of society while making the best use
of resources at their disposal. The concept of efficiency in the context
of good governance also covers the sustainable use of natural resources
and the protection of the environment.
Accountability
Accountability is a key requirement of good governance.
Not only governmental institutions but also the private sector and civil
society organizations must be accountable to the public and to their institutional
stakeholders. Who is accountable to whom varies depending on whether decisions
or actions taken are internal or external to an organization or institution.
In general an organization or an institution is accountable to those who
will be affected by its decisions or actions. Accountability cannot be
enforced without transparency and the rule of law.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion it should be clear that good
governance is an ideal which is difficult to achieve in its totality.
Very few countries and societies have come close to achieving good governance
in its totality. However, to ensure sustainable human development, actions
must be taken to work towards this ideal with the aim of making it a reality.
Posts
