Speaker 1: What does good governance mean? Let's start with the definition of governance. Basically, governance means that a variety of actors participate in and cooperate in governing. The United Nations simply defines governance as a process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented. It can be thought of as a process in which governments, citizens, society, and businesses make decisions together to create a better society and a better country. For example, while governments can take the lead to solve problems such as waste reduction, citizens, communities, and businesses can come together to set the best policy. Good governance is a process of engaging various actors in the decision-making of public administration. It should include the areas of education, road infrastructure, licensing, and dealing with global warming, among others. The concept of governance emerged in the international community in the 1980s. The World Bank first introduced the concept of governance in a study they released in 1989. Then, in a 1992 report, the World Bank defined governance as the manner in which power is executed in the management of a country's economic and social resources for development. The World Bank proposed this concept in order to apply a fair standard in lending development aid to developing countries. Since World War II, many countries have implemented state-led economic policies. However, these policies failed due to corruption, injustice, and a lack of responsibility. There has been growing criticism that more diverse actors should participate in the national decision-making process. In response to the criticism, the concept of good governance emerged to distinguish the countries with fair policies. The concept of good governance does not only apply to the developing countries. In order for all mankind to live in harmony, all countries, societies, and citizens must pursue good governance. Good governance has three main requirements. They are effectiveness, transparency, and participation. Effectiveness We expect government to achieve results and use resources wisely. No money should be wasted in all public areas, including education, social welfare, and medical care. Transparency All citizens should be able to see why and how government makes decisions. We should have access to explanations about government votes, policies, budgets, and campaign finance information. Participation We should all have a voice in public decisions, even if we are not well-connected or have the loudest voice. We should be able to voice our concerns and aspirations through voting, public meetings, and comments. To create a better future for everyone, effective, transparent, and participatory public administration system needs to be recreated. As lessons from history show us, a lack of competent government cripples the government. And once government is incapacitated, the lives of citizens become challenging, and a better world will become impossible. Good governance is a global discourse, and at the same time, it can be our story in our own country. What does good governance mean to you? What can we do for good governance? Learn more at www.cdc.gov