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Assessing Governance in China: A UN-supported Framework to Facilitate Governance Assessment in China


BEIJING, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- A governance assessment framework developed by Chinese experts was launched today in the United Nations Compound Beijing.

Supported by the United Nations Development Programmes (UNDP), the China Center for Comparative Politics & Economics (CCCPE) has developed a Framework for Governance Assessment specific to China's situation, as part of a one-year project executed by the China International Centre of Economic and Technical Exchange (CICETE) under the Ministry of Commerce.

Taking stock is the key social, economic and political development strategies in China and internationally, the framework was tailored to China's current situation and designed to be practical and realistic. The framework covers twelve dimensions including civic participation, human and civic rights, rule of law, legitimacy, social justice, social stability, openness of government affairs, administrative effectiveness, accountability, public service and government cleanliness.

The framework launched today is the result of several rounds of consultations and discussions between national and local government representatives, academics and social organizations over the past year. "Governance is most usefully assessed if frameworks are developed by national stakeholders themselves," said Subinay Nandy, Country Director of UNDP China at the launch. "Not only will this serve to accommodate important national characteristics, but it will also ensure that assessments become accountability mechanisms for local stakeholders rather than external donors."

UNDP therefore supports local institutions to develop and implement nationally owned and driven governance assessments by sharing its international expertise and networks.

"There are increasing concerns in the quality of governance both in developed and developing countries. Good governance is indispensable in eradicating poverty and promoting development", said Nandy.

Dr. Yu Keping, the professor and director of CCCPE, led the development of the framework with his team of academics at CCCPE. "Governance assessment plays a practical role in promoting democratic politics with Chinese characteristics. The process of establishing a national governance assessment system is actually a process of integrating political ideas with the analysis of real politics," said Dr. Yu.

According to Dr. Yu, a number of governance assessment systems have emerged around the world. Their success in terms of being applicable and useful at the national and/or local levels largely hinges on whether the country emphasize the criteria and procedures of governance assessment and have made theoretical preparations for developing it's own national governance assessment systems. Hopefully, the launching of the framework today may arouse more attentions to the issue of governance assessment in China.

UNDP fosters human development to empower women and men to build better lives in China. As the UN's development network, UNDP draws on a world of experience to assist China in developing its own solutions to the country's development challenges. Through partnerships and innovation, UNDP works to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and an equitable Xiao Kang society by reducing poverty, strengthening the rule of law, promoting environmental sustainability, and fighting HIV/AIDS. http://www.undp.org.cn

Source: United Nations Development Programme
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