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Good governance prerequisite for development
2006-05-22 07:31:14
By Maura Mwingira in New York
President Jakaya Kikwete has underscored the importance of good governance for national development.
The President made the remarks when he officially launched the United Nations’ report on Governance for the Future: Democracy and Development in the Least Developed Countries at the UN headquarters in New York yesterday.
’’Good governance creates conducive environment that provides equal opportunities for private institutions and political parties to be respected and sustained,” he said.
He said a transparent and responsible government that listens to its people provided a reliable basis for socio-economic development.
The launch was attended by representatives and leaders from Democracy and Development in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and top UN leaders.
President Kikwete said there was a close relationship between good governance, sustainable development and implementation of human and political parties’ rights that should be put in place and improved.
He said co-operation as an issue comes about because of shortage of resources. The shortage creates unfavourable environment for LDCs in tackling challenges that impede good governance.
Responding to Kikwete’s speech, the UN Deputy Secretary General Mark Malloch Brown said Tanzania was one of the leading countries that have embraced good governance.
Brown said there were few countries among the developed countries that ensure peaceful hand-over of power.
Some of the issues highlighted in the report that took two years to compile point to the fact that poverty was not an impediment to the realisation of good governance.
A Tanzanian, Zahra Noor, is among the authors of the report that cites examples of supervision and implementation of good governance in the LDCs, which include Tanzania and Madagascar.
Poverty notwithstanding, the report says, the two countries were doing their best to curb corruption, while Mali and Benin have performed better in the same areas.
President Kikwete also attended a luncheon hosted by the businesspeople that aims at marketing Tanzania as one of the countries with ideal investment environments.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has appealed to Tanzania to intervene in the Darfur peace process.
The request was made by Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Mark Malloch Brown.
Brown told President Kikwete that Tanzania’s intervention in the Darfur conflict was vital because of its past record in peace negotiations.
’’Your Excellency, I ask for your country’s involvement in the Darfur peace process.
You are famed for that and, indeed, your participation in the United Nations Security Council has won you great respect,’’ Brown said.
Unlike other countries, Tanzania has for a long time not participated, through the United Nations, in the implementation of a peace process in war-torn countries.
He said there was no doubt about Tanzania’s ability. Her experience in handling and resolving crises in search of peace within the Great Lakes Region was a clear testimony and that such a valid experience was still needed.
’’Augustine Mahiga has done a good job in the UN Security Council. You are soon coming to the end of your tenure, yet we still count on and desire your experience.
I therefore ask you to allow ambassador Mahiga to fully participate in the Security Council affairs when the time comes,’’ Brown said.
Responding to the request for Tanzania’s involvement in the Darfur peace process President Kikwete said he would address the issue when he returns home.
However, he said that in principle, the United Nations was duty-bound to protect peace in Darfur and that there was no way it could this noble responsibility.
’’The duty to protect peace anywhere is your responsibility; you cannot transfer it. Neither would it be just to vest it in the hands of the African Union.
That the UN promptly responds to peace processes involving European countries, but hardly assumes the same stance of preparedness for African countries leaves a lot to be desired. This is not justice at all; the UN must play its part,’’ the President said.
In their discussion President Kikwete asked the UN to improve the Kigoma airport, which it uses for its operations in the Great Lakes Region.
The President said that, although the UN erected the airport it was not tarmacked, hence the existence of dust especially when planes take off or lend.
In their talks that were also attended by Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation Asha-Rose Migiro and Ambassador Augustine Mahiga, the president also appealed to the UN to assist the Democratic Republic of Congo to conduct successful elections due in July.
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