Good Governance is the key to sustainable development: Bole
Jul 2, 2008, 16:08

The Minister for Education, National Heritage, Culture and Arts, Youth and Sports Mr Filipe Bole has reiterated that good governance is the key to sustainable development for any country.

He pointed this out while opening the Conference on Improving Harmonization and Monitoring & Evaluation for Better Education Results held today at the Shangri-La Fijian Resort in Nadroga.

The conference which brings together Ministers of education of the region, educators, bilateral, multi-lateral donor agencies and regional organisations discusses and assesses how the region is progressing in its contribution towards global efforts in educational development.

Mr Bole said the theme of this conference, Improving Harmonization and Monitoring & Evaluation (better known as M&E) for Better Education Results is quite relevant as would provide an opportunity to the regions to reflect on how the governments are monitoring their efforts towards improving the education sector.

“I believe concerns have been raised by regional partners on how our governments are monitoring efforts towards the education for all targets and whether the results gained are beneficial to their systems.”

“Countries in the region have embarked on developing their own systems of M&E and this conference will provide us with the opportunity to reflect on where we are in terms of monitoring and evaluation,” Mr Bole said.

He said while the responsibilities of the state are changing worldwide, it is evident that sustainable growth and development is possible only through good governance and accountability.

“The theme of this forum is indeed apt and important, because while the role of the state worldwide, has changed and evolved, during recent history, it is now readily apparent that good governance is a key to achieving sustainable socio-economic development,” he said.

The Education Minister said Small Island states like Fiji, are continuously being challenged by the demands of the global economy, new information and technology, and he said this calls for greater participation and democracy.

“Whether it calls for greater accountability and transparency, enhanced effectiveness of development programmes or exchange for foreign aid, or real results of political promises made, governments and organisations must be increasingly responsive to internal and external stakeholders to demonstrate tangible results,” he said.

Mr Bole said according to a world-bank report of 1997, “the clamour for greater government effectiveness has reached crisis proportions in many developing countries where the state has failed to deliver even such fundamental public goods as property rights, roads, and basic health and education”.

He said this statement indicates that the assessment of government performance has now become a global phenomenon.



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