'Toward Participatory
& Transparent Governance'
- 6th Global Forum on Reinvesting GovOt due in May in Seoul

An estimated 5,000 prominent figures around the world will get together in Seoul May 24-27 for the first time in Asia to participate in the 6th Global Forum on Reinventing Government.
The participants of the 6th Global Forum, the world's largest conference of the issue of government reinvention, include incumbent as well as former heads of state, senior government officials, academics, CEOs and representatives of international organizations and civic groups.
"Good governance is no longer the concern of governments alone. Increasingly, key players in governance also include business and civil society in countries across the globe. Indeed, the need for participation and transparency in governance is more evident than ever before," Kim Ho-young, secretary general of the Secretariat for the 6th Global Forum on Reinventing Government, said in a recent interview with NewsWorld.
The theme of the 6th Global Forum, "Reinventing Government: Toward Participatory and Transparent Governance," coincides with participation and transparency, part of the tenets and values the President Roh Moo-hyun Participatory Government purses. The current administration led by President Roh has consistently sought to reinvent itself with the objective of establishing a transparent and accountable administration that is founded on a harmonious basis among the state, business and civil society, he said. "The fact that the United Nations has endorsed to hold the 6th Global Forum on Reinventing Government in partnership with the Korean government, the first Asian country to host the event, proves the fact that the Roh administration's firm commitment to governance reinvention and continued efforts to cope with the challenges and opportunities of the globalization have been highly recognized by the global community. At the same time, this forum will serve as an opportune moment for Korea to solidify its position as the paradigm and hub of Asia in government reinvention," Kim said.
The following are excerpts from the interview with Kim. Secretary general of the Secretariat of the 6th Global Forum.

Question: Would you give us an overview of the 6th Global Forum on Reinventing Government and preparatory actions taken by the Korean Government?
Answer: In the 21st century marked by incredible advances in globalization, information technology and democratization, good governance is no longer the concern of governments alone. Increasingly, key players in governance also include business and civil society in countries across the globe. Indeed, the need for participation and transparency in governance is more evident than ever before.
Against this backdrop, the United States initiated the 1st Global Forum in 1999 with a theme entitled "Strategy for 21st Century Government" to understand the crucial link between efficient government and prosperous economy and to share ideas and effective practices to improve government services. Since its successful inception, the forum has emerged as one of the largest and most influential global events on government reinvention, drawing incumbent as well as former heads of state, senior government officials, academics, CEOs and representatives of international organizations and civic groups to the scene.
The subsequent forums were organized by the governments of Brazil, Italy, Morocco and Mexico, dealing with various themes essential to establishing innovative governance. The Global Forum on Reinventing Government gained solid ground as the United Nations vowed to extend support and provide funding for future Global Forums at its third meeting in Naples.
In order to prepare for the forum, the National Committee for the 6th Global Forum on Reinventing Government has been set up, which is chaired by Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan and joined by ministers of the Republic of Korea as well as relevant experts and leaders from private sectors. The Secretariat for the 6th Global Forum on Reinventing Government and an advisory committee are also in operation to provide practical assistance to the Committee. In close cooperation with the International Steering Committee jointly formed with UNDESA, the Korean government is exerting all-out efforts to attract as many prominent figures as possible to the 6th Global Forum.
An official Website for the 6th Global Forum was also launched to provide details and updated information at www.6thglobalforum.org.

Q: Will you explain our readers about the main theme of the Sixth Global Forum?
A: In the age of information technology, globalization and decentralized governance, there is an increased need for effective, accountable and transparent administrative and management structures, based on collaboration and partnership among the key players of the state. The theme for the 6th Forum "Reinventing Government: Toward Participatory and Transparent Governance" was specifically chosen to reflect the importance of those principles.
The forum consists of five plenary sessions where representatives of state and well-known experts in the main sectors of governance (government, business and civil society) will deliver keynote speeches and introduce practical ceases of reinvention.
Nine exclusive workshops will also be held to provide an opportunity for the participants to acquire practical applications of government reinvention, featuring top policymakers and experts from distinguished institutions, such as UNDESA, UNDP, World Bank, Harvard University, as well as local academics and research centers.
Also on the program is the Korea Special Session scheduled to be held on May 24. Its objectives are to share Korea's cases as an example of government reinvention with other countries and to create participatory atmosphere for government reinvention. An evaluation of Korean government reinvention from foreign point of view and a round table discussion will also take place.

Q: What are the significance and expected outcome of the Korean Government's hosting the 6th Global Forum?
A: In this age of globalization, the current administration led by President Roh Moo-hyun under the motto of "Participatory Government," has consistently sought to reinvent itself with the objective of establishing a transparent and accountable administration that is founded on a harmonious basis among the state, business and civil society.
The fact that the United Nations has endorsed to hold the 6th Global Forum on Reinventing Government in partnership with the Korean government, the first Asian country to host the event, proves the fact that the Roh administration's firm commitment to governance reinvention and continued efforts to cope with the challenges and opportunities of the globalization have been highly recognized by the global community. At the same time, this forum will serve as an opportune moment for Korea to solidify its position as the paradigm and hub of Asia in government reinvention.
The 6th Global Forum is also expected to lay foundation for a "global network for reinvention" which interconnects the key players in governance to improve the quality of governance at national and local levels.

Q: Would you elaborate on the International Innovation Exhibition to be held as a side event during the forum?
A: The exhibition will introduce accomplishments of various countries and organizations to share benchmark applications aimed at enhancing public service and promoting e-governance and corporate transparency. The exhibitors will also provide a useful venue for sharing ideas and experiences of governments, corporations and civic groups worldwide. To be held alongside with the plenary sessions, the exhibitions will be divided into four different sections - Korean Pavilion, Foreign Pavilion, Business Pavilion and Public Institution Pavilion.
The Korean Pavilion will feature central and local governments that experiment with various initiatives to foster innovations in governance, such as implementing e-government applications. The Foreign Pavilion will present governments and organizations worldwide that have received outstanding achievements, such as UN Public Service Award granted by the UN Economic and Social Council and e-Europe Awards given to European organizations with notable accomplishments in fostering innovations. Local and multi-national corporations with innovative IT-related technologies and management methods will be introduced at the Business Pavilion, which include Hewlett-Packard, Fujitsu Ltd., CISCO, POSCO, SK Telecom Co. Ltd., IBM Korea, LG Electronics and Samsung SDS Co., whereas the Public Institution Pavilion will present NGOs and national corporations which promote participation and transparency.

Q: Who are some of the participants at the 6th Global Forum?
A: Participating in the 6th Global Forum in Seoul, what is expected to be the world's biggest gathering on government innovation ever, will be over 5,000 prominent figures from 191 UN member nations. They will include incumbent as well as former heads of state from each Continent, including former hosting countries, senior government officials from over 100 nations, academics from respected institutions, CEOs, well-known experts from international organizations, such as UNDESA, OECD, UNHABITAT, UNDP, World Bank, CIVICUS as well as other civic groups worldwide.
To drop a few names of the participants, they include Jose Antonio Antonio Ocampo, undersecretary general of UN, Abdoulie Janneh, assistant secretary general of UNDP, Claus Offe, department chair of Humboldt University of Berlin, Peter Eigen, head of Transparency International, and Karen Fogg, Secretary General of IDEA. Experts from the academic circle include Prof. Elaine Kamarck of Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Prof. Lynn Paine of Harvard Business School and Prof. Gerry Stoker of Manchester University.
As the Global Forum does not hold exclusive membership countries, unlike most other international meetings, we will continue to exert all-out efforts to attract as many important figures as possible to the 6th Global Forum.

Q: Who are some of the local participants?
A: Representatives of local government, corporate, civic groups and scholars will debate the details of their respective themes at the 6th Global Forum. Some of the local participating institutions include Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs (MOGAHA), Board of Audit and Inspection, Korea Institute for Public Administration, KDI School of Public Policy and Management, Korea Research Institute for Local Administration, National Computerization Agency and Korean Association for Public Administration (KAPA).
Some members of the National Committee for the 6th Global Forum on Reinventing Government, headed by Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, will deliver speeches in the plenaries, which include Oh Young-kyo, minister of government administration and home affairs, and Park Yong-sung, chairman of Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Kim Hak-su, Executive Secretary of United Nations Economic and Social Commission of Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), and Song Bo-kyung, chairman of Council of Korea Citizens Group, will present benchmark applications of government reinvention at the plenary sessions. nw