Now, a new book series called Trends and Innovations in Governance explores the centrality of good governance practices in achieving such sustainable development objectives as the eradication of extreme poverty, environmental protection, access to basic services and livelihoods, and the promotion of economic growth.
The series is the result of a collaboration between the East-West Center’s Asia Pacific Governance and Democracy Initiative (AGDI) and the United Nations University’s Peace and Governance Programme to meet governance challenges in the region, drawing from collaborative research with partner institutions in developing countries throughout Asia. Contributors to the books include leading scholars from around the world specializing in governance, political science and the Asia Pacific region.
“The countries in the Asia Pacific region are at different stages of democratic governance, ranging from the relatively effective and democratic governance in Japan, India and the Republic of Korea to new and restored democracies such as Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand and Mongolia,” said East-West Center Senior Fellow and AGDI Director Dr. G. Shabbir Cheema. “However, all are interested in sharing experiences and good practices as they work to further strengthen democratic governance capacities.”
The titles in the three-volume series, published by UNU Press, are:
- Engaging Civil Society: Emerging Trends in Democratic Governance , which examines the increasingly important role played by civil society organizations in improving such key governance standards as public transparency, citizen participation, access to services and the rule of law.
- Building Trust in Government: Innovations in Governance Reform in Asia , which explores challenges in promoting trust in government and citizen engagement, especially among marginalized groups and the poor.
- Cross-Border Governance in Asia: Regional Issues and Mechanisms , which discusses responses to such cross-border issues as refugees, illegal immigration, regional trade integration, water management, human trafficking, and public health.The Trends and Innovations in Governance series was officially launched on July 1, 2010 at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, as part of the Center’s year-long 50th anniversary commemorations.
“We live in an increasingly interdependent world, where we face many common problems, including climate change, poverty, economic crisis and human security,” said Prof. Kazuhiko Takeuchi, Vice-Rector of United Nations University-Tokyo, at the launch event. “We will disseminate the three books in this series to a world network of scholars, policymakers and development practitioners in order to better understand governance dimensions and formulate effective policies to address our common problems.”
“I think one thing we should keep in mind is that governance is more than government – it is co-produced by government, civil society organizations and the private sector,” added project director Cheema. “This is really the paradigm shift that has taken place in the last 20 or 30 years, and we see that it’s not a theoretical proposition, it is happening in practice in this dynamic Asia Pacific region.”
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The EAST-WEST CENTER promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Established by the U.S. Congress in 1960, the Center serves as a resource for information and analysis on critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to exchange views, build expertise, and develop policy options.