Formal/Informal Institutions for Citizen Engagement for implementing the Post 2015 Development Agenda. Programme

Transcription

1 UNITED NATIONS Expert Group Meeting (EGM) Formal/Informal Institutions for Citizen Engagement for implementing the Post 2015 Development Agenda UNESCO Headquarters Annex, 1 Rue Miollis, Room No. 16, Paris, France October 2014 Programme

2 Monday 20 October :30-9:30 Registration 9:30-11:00 Opening Session Introductory remarks from co-organizers Expert Group Meeting introduction: Mr. Indrajit Banerjee, Director, CI/KSD; Ms. Valentina Resta, Senior Governance and Public Administration Officer, UNDESA/DPADM; and Mr. Edwin Lau, Head, Reform of the Public Sector division, OECD Presentation of the background paper: Mr. Don Lenihan, Senior Associate, Public Policy Forum, Canada 11:00 11:30 Coffee break 11:30 13:00 Session 1: Options for participatory decision-making for the post-2015 development agenda. The Open Working Group mandated by the United Nations General Assembly has developed the final proposal for sustainable development goals to be considered in the 68 th session of the General Assembly. It calls for responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decisionmaking at all levels. In which domain does the public mostly participate? Is there practical evidence that participation improves development outcomes and in which area? What type of public engagement fosters development? How can non-state actors be engaged to assist monitoring how SDGs are implemented and resources channelled in each specific context? Mr. Bhanu Neupane, Programme Specialist CI/KSD 11:30 11:50 Options for participatory decision-making for the post-2015 development agenda, Mr. Graham Smith, Professor, University of Westminster, United Kingdom 13:00-14:30 Lunch break 2

3 14:30-16:00 Session 2: Engaging non-state actors through formal and informal means experiences from around the world United Nations Member States engage citizens in decision-making and policy cycle through a variety of formal and informal systems according to specific socioeconomic and cultural contexts. The session will draw recommendations form lessons learned in this domain. What types of informal citizen engagement institutions exist and work alongside formal ones? What are their respective advantages and disadvantages? Through which formal and informal arrangements are citizens informed, consulted and engaged in decision-making? What has been the progress in engaging citizens through informal systems? What are the challenges of this type of engagement and how do they compare with the challenges of engagement through formal systems? Mr. Don Lenihan, Senior Associate, Public Policy Forum, Canada 14:30-14:50 Responsive and Accountable Governance for the Post-2015 Development Agenda, Mr. Mushtaq Khan, Professor, SOAS, University of London and Member of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration, Bangladesh 14:50-15:10 Institutional Developments in Transition Countries: How to Recognize Informalities? Ms. Snezana Mišić Mihajlović, Researcher, Centre for Management, Development and Planning, Bosnia and Herzegovina 16:00 16:30 Coffee break 16:30-18:00 Session 3: Formal and informal institutions for citizen engagement synergy or dichotomy? The session will examine the framework in which formal and informal citizen engagement systems operate and interact, particularly in the more adverse environments that are affected by war and its negative ramifications on development. It will identify the implications, challenges and opportunities this interaction poses for development management. What is the current state of research/mapping of formal/informal institutions? How have existing informal systems helped or hindered or modified the operation of formal systems of participation and accountability in different contexts? 3

4 Are informal systems a resilience mechanism or an obstacle to governance reform in post-conflict settings? Why ignoring the context of informality may slow down development? Mr. Tarik Alami, Director, Emerging and Conflict-Related Issues Division, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) 16:30-16:40 Trends and Impacts in the Arab Region, Youssef Chaitani, Chief, Section on Conflict, Occupation and Development, UN ESCWA 16:40-16:50 Spillover Effects and National Development Goals in Jordan: The Challenges of a Neighbourhood in Protracted Crises, Dr. Khalid W. Al. Wazani, Chief Economist/Strategist- Partner, Issnaad Consulting, Jordan 16:50-17:00 Syrian Informal Interventions in Crisis: Evolution and Challenges, Dr. Zedoun Al Zoubi, Union of Syrian Medical Relief Organizations & Technical University in Berlin, Syria 17:00-17:10 Formal and Informal Institutions for Citizen Engagement under Occupation, Dr. Yousef Daoud, Dean, College of Business and Economics, Birzeit University, Palestine 17:10-17:20 Institutions of Citizen-Engagement in Post-Conflict Situations: The Case of Lebanon, Dr. Karam Karam, Head of Research and Senior Researcher, Common Space Initiative, Lebanon Tuesday 21 October :30-11:00 Session 4: Formal and informal citizen engagement - ICT, social media and open government The session will discuss the opportunities for and challenges of citizen engagement in the age of information technology and efforts to promote open government and e-participation as a tools of responsive and accountable public governance. Can ICT help in breaking down barriers between formal and informal ways of engaging citizens? How is it possible to ensure maximum inclusiveness? 4

5 How can crowd involvement equally reach male and female citizens and other social groups in addition to the youth? Mr. Edwin Lau, Head, Reform of the Public Sector division, OECD 09:30-09:50 Publics Close, Middle and Distant, Mr. Anthony Zacharzewski, Founder and Head of Demsoc, United Kingdom 09:50 10:10 Ushahidi, Mr. Henry Addo, software engineer, Ghana 11:00 11:30 Coffee break 11:30-13:00 Session 5: Leadership and public sector change to enhance citizen engagement for better service delivery and accountability. Enhanced awareness and capacity of public servants is needed to understand the challenges and opportunities offered by formal or informal institutional arrangements. The session will also examine ways to sensitize public servants both collectively and individually. How have existing informal systems helped or hindered or modified the operation of formal systems of participation and accountability in different contexts? How can public sector leaders attain inclusive approaches, involving the participation of stakeholders through formal and informal mechanisms, to enhance public service delivery and accountability? Are there any studies that can help enhance awareness and knowledge of public servants in this domain? Ms. Valentina Resta, Senior Governance and Public Administration Officer, UNDESA/DPADM 11:30-11:50 Leadership and Public Sector change to enhance citizen engagement for better service delivery and accountability, Mr. Robby Muhumuza, Management and Communications Consultant, Uganda 11:50-12:10 How can we leverage the impact of public policies to promote the well-being of people? The formal informal virtuous cycle between civil society organizations and public servants, Mr. Rodolfo Córdova Alcaraz, Programme Manager, FUNDAR, Mexico 5

6 13:00-14:30 Lunch break 14:30-16:00 Session 6: Achieving greater coherence between formal and informal citizen engagement for post-2015 development management In the context of implementing the development agenda after 2015, formal and informal engagement will be critical to assist monitoring how sustainable development goals are achieved. Therefore it is crucial to attain coherence between reforms of formal organizations (like political parties or government agencies) and the activities of already existing informal organizations. How can coherence between formal and informal institutions be enhanced? Are there any successful practices? What specific opportunities exist at the local level and what framework should be provided by national policies in this regard? How can possible benefits of informal systems be tapped while reforming formal systems? What are the limits formal institutions encounter when attempting to influence and/or tap into informal systems? What needs to be done to build on the outcome of this EGM once the SDGs are approved in 2015? Ms. Snezana Mišić Mihajlović, Researcher, Centre for Management, Development and Planning, Bosnia and Herzegovina 14:30-14:50 The Role of Informal and Formal Institutions in Citizen Engagement, Ms. Angelita, Gregorio-Medel; Under-Secretary for Institutional Development; Department of Social Welfare and Development of the Philippine Government and Member of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration, Philippines 16:00 16:30 Coffee break 16:30-18:00 Closing Session Conclusions & proposed recommendations What further demand exists from Unites Nations Member States for research and capacity building? 6