The Asia-Pacific Governance and Democracy Initiative (AGDI)
2008 – 2010

Context
Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region in the world. Despite its high rates of growth, however, many developing countries within the region are not making significant progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially those dealing with child mortality, maternal health, gender equality, the fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, and environmental sustainability. Achievement of development objectives within the region has been constrained by weak governance and, consequently, the inability of governments to sustain policies and programs.
 
Effective democratic governance continues to be one of the greatest challenges of the Asia Pacific region as countries cope with demands of the global economy and pressures from citizens for increased transparency and participation. The countries in the region are at different stages of democratic governance ranging from the relatively effective and democratic governance in Japan and the Republic of Korea to new and restored democracies such as Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand and Mongolia. However all are interested in sharing experiences and good practices as they work to further strengthen democratic governance capacities.

Key Components
Effective democratic governance is central to the East-West Center's mission of promoting a peaceful, prosperous and just Asia Pacific region through the creation of Asia Pacific community. The multi-year Asia Pacific Governance and Democracy Initiative will concentrate on contributing to national and regional institutional and leadership capacities by focusing on the following dimensions of democratic governance:

I. Civil Society Engagement in Democratic Change

Civil society organizations in the region are playing a vital role in promoting inclusive governance at the local, national and global levels, recognizing that improving the quality of the democratic governance process requires actions at multiple levels. The rapid pace of globalization and the emergence of regional institutions with mandates to promote and protect human rights, democracy, and access to basic services have increased the influence of civil society organizations.

At the national level, civil society organizations in Asia are performing watchdog functions to improve the quality of electoral and parliamentary process including electoral monitoring, voter education, training of candidates (especially women) and responsiveness of parliamentarians to the interests of minorities, poor and marginalized groups. Furthermore, they work for public interest law reform, enhance access of the poor to justice through paralegal services, and undertake advocacy and accountability of public officials including informing media about violations by public officials.  Their most widely recognized role in the democratic governance process, however, is their promotion and protection of civil and political rights  At the global level, civil society organizations are performing advocacy functions for such global public goods as debt relief for the high debt and Least Developed Countries, climate change, implementation of the UN conventions and treaty bodies dealing with civil and political rights, transparency in global governance, and increased foreign assistance from the donor community.  Examples of civil society organizations actively engaged in global governance are Transparency International, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam, Amnesty International and the World Association of Voluntary Organizations (CIVICUS).

In sum, this component of the initiative examines the impact of civil society organizations on democratic change in the region. It reviews the emerging issues and good practices in the region, the modalities of the civil society's interface and engagement with the governments, and its capacity and accountability, .

II. Cross-border Governance for Regional Actions

Asia Pacific countries have also become more interdependent as a result of globalization. Information, ideas, culture, people, resources, capital, and crime all move across borders in larger numbers than ever before. As such, problems and challenges that face one nation often have a rippling effect throughout the region. Cross border issues are those which cannot be resolved successfully by isolated policy action at the national or sub-national levels. The list of such issues is long and growing. The management of common resources such as water, trafficking of women and children, climate change, trade integration, and forced child labor are serious cross-border issues that require regional responses. Other issues include illegal migration, market access for Least Developed Countries, regional investment funds, as well as aid and debt relief for the poorest countries to address imbalances within the region.

Each of these issues requires significant cross-border policy coordination between national governments, as well as good institutional systems in place to enable consultation with other stakeholders and collaboration between national and local governments. In turn, these cross-border operational linkages require that governmental agencies and departments be aware of existing procedures, and new steps needed to improve the process.  Moreover, in order to address the cross-border issues faced by countries, it is essential to forge strategic alliances at the regional level which support the development of consolidated approaches through regional platforms for dialogue on issues such as trade in services and energy, management of trans-boundary energy and water resources, labor mobility, climate change and management of development assistance flows.

This component of the initiative examines four specific governance dimensions of the cross-border issues – review of institutions and structures, policies and policymaking, legal and equity frameworks, and the role of vital actors such as the civil society and media – in order to promote regional cooperation in responding to the issues.

III. Electoral and Parliamentary Processes to Sustain Democracy

This component of the initiative aims to promote an inclusive electoral and parliamentary process in three Asian countries – Indonesia, Pakistan and the Philippines – to confer political legitimacy, promote representation and oversight, and provide mechanisms for participation and accountability. Its focus is on the participation of women, minorities, and marginalized groups in democratic processes by strengthening national and local capacities to engage in ensuring free and fair elections and accountability of parliaments and legislatures to the constituents. Specifically, it will promote voter registration, electoral monitoring, and dialogue with parliamentarians. It will also support community based organizations, gender sensitive budgeting, use of media to promote inclusion, training of women local leaders, information-sharing and  awareness raising.

IV. Transparency and Anti-corruption Strategies to Promote Trust in Government

Transparency in governance and combating of corruption are major challenges facing many Asian countries today. In order for citizens to have confidence and trust in government, civil servants and elected officials must conduct themselves according to the highest standards of public accountability and behavior. Adherence to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), in addition to the implementation of national legislative and administrative measures is critical. Also needed are strengthening the transparency of policy processes, improving enforcement mechanism, increasing public awareness and strengthening anti-corruption institutions. Recognizing the above, many countries in the region have launched new and highly innovative transparency and anti-corruption initiatives. This component will examine the impact of these advances.

See the Workshop on Promoting Trust in Government Through Innovations in Governance in Asia and the Pacific, held 28-30 January 2008 at the East-West Center.

V. Civil Service Reform and Resource Management to Foster Economic Development

The capacity of governments at multi-levels to design and implement development programs that effectively manage human, physical, technological and financial resources is essential to meeting the rapidly increasing expectations of citizens. In the context of the economic transitions that Asia Pacific countries are experiencing, a premium rests on strengthening and restructuring institutions to govern and support market forces and capital accumulation. For example, adequate competencies at local, regional and national levels for both raising revenues and making balanced decisions on spending these revenues must be assured by increasing the accountability for results of the civil service.

Governments in the region are employing incentive-based strategies which reward or provide positive recognition to public sector employees who successfully introduce innovations that improve public services and contribute to capital accumulation (e.g., in the education sector). The countries are also stressing the importance of leadership for instilling public sector ethics, ensuring full participation of women in the public sector, reinforcing shared values, and motivating staff to produce positive change and results for their organizations and society. Much of what does or does not transpire over the next decade in the Asia Pacific region will hinge on the issues identified above.

Modalities and Partnerships

The Asia-Pacific Governance and Democracy Initiative will

• Undertake policy relevant research on the foregoing aspects of democratic governance practice,
• Organize capacity development leadership workshops and senior level dialogues among scholars and policymakers,
• Document and analyze emerging regional trends and issues,
• Publish research findings for dissemination in the region and globally, and
• Undertake strategic outreach activities at the country level.

The implementation strategy of the Initiative is based on a two-pronged approach: research, dialogue and dissemination at the regional level; and country outreach activities in the People's Republic of China, Indonesia, Pakistan and Timor Leste. The Initiative is funded by a consortium of multilateral and bilateral institutions. To complement East-West Center's resources and expertise, the activities will be designed and implemented in partnership with leading regional, national and global institutions. The Institutional Partners Group (IPG) will be established including the following institutions:

National Institutions

• China – China Center for Comparative Politics and Economics (CCCPE) and Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences
• Republic of Korea – Yonsei University and Seoul National University
• Japan – Hosie University, Tokyo University
• Indonesia – University of Indonesia, Partnership for Governance Reform
• Malaysia – Universiti Sains Malaysia, AccountAbility
• The Philippines  National College of Public Administration and Governance Institute for Political and Electoral Reform
• Thailand – Thamassat University
• Bangladesh – Centre for Policy Dialogue and BRAC University
• India – Administrative Staff College of India, Institute of Local Government
• Pakistan – Pakistan Institute for Legislative Development and Transparency, Beaconhouse National University,  Lahore University of Management Sciences

Regional and Global Institutions

• United Nations University
• Asian Development Bank
• Harvard University
• UN Governance Centre
• UNDP Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific,
• Transparency International
• International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance,
• Soka University of America
• School of Governance of the University of the South Pacific
• South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
• Association of Southeast Asian Nations

Outcomes

The three-year Asia-Pacific Governance and Democracy Initiative will contribute to our understanding of the role of effective governance and democracy in Asia and the Pacific through regional and country level outreach activities. It will promote capacity building of the government counterparts and civil society organizations, support the networks of training and research institutions and government innovators, and facilitate sharing of experiences and lessons learned among scholars and practitioners in the region and globally. The Initiative's state-of-the-art knowledge products – including Governance and Democracy in Asia and the Pacific Series – will be launched at the 50th anniversary of East-West Center at the Senior Level Seminar on Democratic Governance for Human Development in Asia and the Pacific.  

Contact
G. Shabbir Cheema
Initiative Director and Senior Fellow
East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii 96848
E-mail:   cheemas@eastwestcenter.org
Tel:  808-944-7427 (office)
        808-292-8584 (mobile)