Defining good governance - the conceptual competition is on

Abstract

"Das Konzept der Good Governance bestimmt mittlerweile große Teile der bilateralen und multilateralen Entwicklungshilfe. Gelegentlich mutiert es zu einem reinen Machtinstrument einzelner Geberländer und -institutionen, wenn seine Inhalte und Maßstäbe nicht benannt und offen gelegt werden. Good Governance ist aber auch ein Konzept zur Effektivierung der nationalen Entwicklungsstrategie. Das UN-Committee for Development Policy (CDP) befasste sich auf seiner sechsten Sitzung vom 29. März bis 2. April 2004 unter anderem mit der Frage, welche Bedeutung diesem Konzept für die zukünftige Entwicklungspolitik und die Verwirklichung der Millenniumsziele zukommen kann. Unterschiedliche Konkretisierungen sind möglich. Wir dokumentieren den unter Federführung von CDP-Mitglied Udo E. Simonis (WZB) entstandenen Bericht über die Beratungen des Komitees." (Autorenreferat)

"Since the early 1990s, the notion of 'good governance' as necessary for sustainable development and poverty reduction has gained widespread currency, especially among international organizations. Domestic concerns over what would later be labeled 'good governance' had long been present in all regions of the world. However, during the Cold War, they were not accorded much importance in donor-recipient relationships. What helped put good governance at the front of the international agenda was a conjunction of several factors, principally the end of the Cold War, a feeling that market-based policies of structural adjustment had failed to solve the economic problems of many countries and concern that aid was often ineffective in achieving its objectives. Bad policies and bad governance in recipient countries were considered largely responsible for these failures. Indeed, good governance became a conditionality for development assistance from donor agencies. Good governance is meanwhile specified as one of the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), an agenda for reducing poverty and sustainable development that world leaders agreed on at the Millennium Summit in September 2000. Now, at the Sixth Session of the Committee on Development Policy (CDP), commitment to good governance and how to enhance progress is one of the themes on the discussion agenda. In this paper, the concept, measurement and criteria of good governance will be presented, examples given on how the concept can be operationalized, and lessons drawn for good governance for sustainable development and poverty reduction. The competition on concepts is on." (excerpt)