Vice-President Chen Li,Director-General Ms. Dong Qing,Deputy Director-General Liu Gang,Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me first wish you a Happy New Year as we are going to celebrate the Chinese New Year soon.
Thank you for the invitation to address the closing plenary of the Practitioner-to-Practitioner Study Tour on “Public Administration for Sustainable Development in the Least Developed Countries”.
First of all, I would like to express my deep appreciation to the Chinese Academy of Governance (CAG) for organizing this study tour.
This is a tangible result of the Chinese Government’s commitment to South-South Cooperation and to partnership with the United Nations.
The agenda and the interactive discussions during this study tour have been rich in substance, in policy analysis and in innovative ideas.
CAG has prepared a unique programme for participants, featuring lectures, interactive discussions, and field trips, while addressing a range of critical policy issues in the field of public administration and sustainable development.
My colleagues accompanying you during the study tour have kept my office informed of the discussion.
I must say that when I received those updates, I realized that of all the people I am grateful to, I must thank you, the participants, first. Without your active participation, sharing views and perspectives, this study tour will not have been as productive and as enriching.
You have made this tour a success. You come from different continents and different government institutions; yet it is precisely this diversity that has added value to the training course.
As has been reiterated from this study tour, the focus on sustainable development in public administration and public service delivery could not be more urgent and timely.
Ensuring quality public services is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Experience has shown, once and again, that without accountable, inclusive, and efficient public services, there can be no meaningful progress in poverty eradication and sustainable development.
All citizens, men and women, should have equal access to quality services, such as health, education, water, sanitation, shelter, and others.
Everyone should have equal opportunity to jobs, markets and finance.
None of the above will happen without responsible governance.
We need public administration that is accountable to people, responsive to the needs of people and dedicated to serving the people.
We need leadership – public servants that lead by example.
We need effective policy tools and innovations in policy making and service delivery, including through e-government and whole-of-government strategies.
We must learn to work together in synergy and not in silo.
We must address all three dimensions of sustainable development, pursuing growth that is environmentally sound and socially inclusive.
This study tour has been designed to showcase China’s experience and successes, as well as gaps and lessons learned, in advancing sustainable development.
Most of you come from least developed countries where Governments are primarily responsible for public services and delivery – more than other countries.
To do so, governments will need financial resources, tax revenues.
Equally important, governments need well trained and professional human resources.
If they lack the capacity to provide efficient public services, they will not deliver on their commitments to the attainment of the SDGs.
That is why you are the crucial link between the government and the people.
You are the leaders, managers, professionals and civil servants – you are all of the above.
You make things happen.
You make a difference.
The simple truth is - in thinking about implementation of the 2030 Agenda, governments at both national and local levels will need to pay special attention to how we can build such human and leadership capacity.
This study tour has aimed to achieve that objective by addressing issues and challenges related to providing basic public services.
Your participation here and the success of this project will show that South-South cooperation can achieve concrete results that contribute to better governance, more efficient, inclusive public administration for sustainable development.
Your active engagement here should be seen as the beginning of an important conversation between public sector actors on strengthening our partnership to advance capacity building for implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
It is necessary to follow-through on the ideas, initiatives and collaborations that have been put forward today. In particular there is an opportunity to capture and build upon such successful South-South cooperation efforts. Such efforts are important from the viewpoint of solidarity among developing countries as well as an effective instrument for sustainable development.
Only by staying engaged, will we ensure that the commitments we have made today will lead to tangible progress on the ground, in all countries and for all people.
This is the start of a new journey. We have embarked on this journey together. Let us continue.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the faculty and staff of the Chinese Academy of Governance, who have worked tireless for the success of this study tour. My thanks also go to UNDP colleagues, our partners as well as to all of you. You have engaged tirelessly and made this study tour a success.
Some of you have travelled far from home. I wish you a safe journey back home.
Thank you.
Let me first wish you a Happy New Year as we are going to celebrate the Chinese New Year soon.
Thank you for the invitation to address the closing plenary of the Practitioner-to-Practitioner Study Tour on “Public Administration for Sustainable Development in the Least Developed Countries”.
First of all, I would like to express my deep appreciation to the Chinese Academy of Governance (CAG) for organizing this study tour.
This is a tangible result of the Chinese Government’s commitment to South-South Cooperation and to partnership with the United Nations.
The agenda and the interactive discussions during this study tour have been rich in substance, in policy analysis and in innovative ideas.
CAG has prepared a unique programme for participants, featuring lectures, interactive discussions, and field trips, while addressing a range of critical policy issues in the field of public administration and sustainable development.
My colleagues accompanying you during the study tour have kept my office informed of the discussion.
I must say that when I received those updates, I realized that of all the people I am grateful to, I must thank you, the participants, first. Without your active participation, sharing views and perspectives, this study tour will not have been as productive and as enriching.
You have made this tour a success. You come from different continents and different government institutions; yet it is precisely this diversity that has added value to the training course.
As has been reiterated from this study tour, the focus on sustainable development in public administration and public service delivery could not be more urgent and timely.
Ensuring quality public services is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Experience has shown, once and again, that without accountable, inclusive, and efficient public services, there can be no meaningful progress in poverty eradication and sustainable development.
All citizens, men and women, should have equal access to quality services, such as health, education, water, sanitation, shelter, and others.
Everyone should have equal opportunity to jobs, markets and finance.
None of the above will happen without responsible governance.
We need public administration that is accountable to people, responsive to the needs of people and dedicated to serving the people.
We need leadership – public servants that lead by example.
We need effective policy tools and innovations in policy making and service delivery, including through e-government and whole-of-government strategies.
We must learn to work together in synergy and not in silo.
We must address all three dimensions of sustainable development, pursuing growth that is environmentally sound and socially inclusive.
This study tour has been designed to showcase China’s experience and successes, as well as gaps and lessons learned, in advancing sustainable development.
Most of you come from least developed countries where Governments are primarily responsible for public services and delivery – more than other countries.
To do so, governments will need financial resources, tax revenues.
Equally important, governments need well trained and professional human resources.
If they lack the capacity to provide efficient public services, they will not deliver on their commitments to the attainment of the SDGs.
That is why you are the crucial link between the government and the people.
You are the leaders, managers, professionals and civil servants – you are all of the above.
You make things happen.
You make a difference.
The simple truth is - in thinking about implementation of the 2030 Agenda, governments at both national and local levels will need to pay special attention to how we can build such human and leadership capacity.
This study tour has aimed to achieve that objective by addressing issues and challenges related to providing basic public services.
Your participation here and the success of this project will show that South-South cooperation can achieve concrete results that contribute to better governance, more efficient, inclusive public administration for sustainable development.
Your active engagement here should be seen as the beginning of an important conversation between public sector actors on strengthening our partnership to advance capacity building for implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
It is necessary to follow-through on the ideas, initiatives and collaborations that have been put forward today. In particular there is an opportunity to capture and build upon such successful South-South cooperation efforts. Such efforts are important from the viewpoint of solidarity among developing countries as well as an effective instrument for sustainable development.
Only by staying engaged, will we ensure that the commitments we have made today will lead to tangible progress on the ground, in all countries and for all people.
This is the start of a new journey. We have embarked on this journey together. Let us continue.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the faculty and staff of the Chinese Academy of Governance, who have worked tireless for the success of this study tour. My thanks also go to UNDP colleagues, our partners as well as to all of you. You have engaged tirelessly and made this study tour a success.
Some of you have travelled far from home. I wish you a safe journey back home.
Thank you.
File date:
Monday, January 18, 2016