V.D: Democratic Governance
Ensure that all people have full opportunities to participate in the decisions affecting their lives Other Information:
80. To consolidate and deepen democracy, free and fair elections must go hand in hand with efforts to . Local, regional and
national governments need the capacity and resources to deliver effective economic and social policies that promote human
development and manage the public services that citizens expect. Moreover governance needs to be grounded in the principles
of human rights, transparency and honesty, and gender equality. 81. UNDP works at the request of programme countries to achieve
those goals through strengthening the core institutions of democratic governance at all levels: national, regional and local/decentralized.
The general challenges of consolidating and deepening democracy apply to developed as well as developing countries. They are
most urgent in states emerging from conflict, where violence has contaminated the reservoir of social trust needed for social
cohesion and mutual tolerance. In this regard, UNDP works with the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations and
the Peacebuilding Commission to help countries develop transitional governance structures. Fostering inclusive participation
82. UNDP will work with national authorities to strengthen civic engagement at the local, regional and national levels. Mechanisms
and opportunities for this engagement include electoral laws, institutions and processes, mobilization channels (such as political
parties and civil society organizations), and communications channels (access to information networks, e-governance, and independent
media). UNDP democratic governance initiatives are designed to support the efforts of programme countries to enhance participation
in public policy dialogues and decision-making. Collaboration with UNCDF and UNV is strong in this area, along with many other
United Nations organizations and external partners. 83. UNDP will assist in the identification of effective interventions
strengthening participation by the poorest social sectors, as well as by women, youth, persons living with disabilities, and
indigenous people. Low or eroding civic participation is of concern for many countries, raising questions about public confidence
and government legitimacy. Mobilizing civic engagement among these groups is a basic foundation for strengthening their voice
in the policymaking process. In its work on electoral systems and processes, UNDP collaborates closely with the Electoral
Administration Division of the United Nations Department of Political Affairs, following a division of labour agreed by the
United Nations General Assembly. Strengthening accountable and responsive governing institutions 84. Enhancing accountability
and responsive institutions is a critical element of democratic governance for human development. UNDP work in this area focuses
upon the three branches of government: (a) strengthening legislatures, regional elected bodies, and local assemblies; (b)
supporting public administration reforms, in national governments and local authorities; and (c) promoting access to justice
and the rule of law. In all those areas, priority will be given to strengthening the mechanisms of responsiveness and public
accountability to the concerns and interests of poor people, women, and other marginalized groups. UNDP supports effective
public policy processes where the public sector at local, regional and national levels develops the capacity and resources
to manage policies and services. Expanding the capacity of governing institutions helps create a facilitating environment
for delivering other goals for poverty reduction, crisis reduction, and environmental protection. In that area, UNDP works
closely with the World Bank on economic governance, with the United Nations Task Force on the Rule of Law on justice, with
UNIFEM on gender equality, and with the United Nations Human Settlement Programme and UNCDF on issues of local and regional
governance, decentralization, and localization of the MDGs. 85. One main initiative in this area will focus on multisectoral
accountability mechanisms. UNDP has amassed considerable experience on specific interventions to improve accountability to
the poor and those women that are excluded, such as access to justice, gender-based budgeting, parliamentary oversight, and
citizen report cards. But until now, many of those interventions have focused on a single sector. Weaknesses in accountability
systems involve a lack of interaction among institutions and sectors – between government and parliament, civil society and
government, or rule-making institutions and justice enforcement mechanisms, for example. In this area, UNDP and DESA collaborate
in particular on public administration reform, public sector ethics, decentralized governance and e-governance. Grounding
democratic governance in international principles 86. At the 2005 world summit, member states emphasized that the United Nations
should “strengthen linkages between the normative work of the United Nations system and its operational activities.” UNDP
will respond to requests from national partners to build national institutional capacity for implementing human rights, gender
equality, and anti-corruption standards appropriate in each context. UNDP will work closely with partner organizations, including
the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and UNIFEM,
within the framework of relevant international agreements. 87. A strategic initiative in this area will develop nationally
owned democratic governance assessments. Methods and approaches will be identified for nationally owned democratic governance
assessments designed to serve the needs of policymakers, identifying the institutions and processes for reform, setting milestones
and benchmarks, and developing systematic indicators to monitor progress. The results will be integrated into planning exercises
by national partners, and in national human development reports, poverty reduction strategy papers, the African Peer Review
Mechanism, MDG reports, and localization of the MDGs.
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