March 8, 2002
A new UNDP-supported centre opened in Oslo, Norway, this week to promote democratic governance and its key role in overcoming poverty in developing countries.
The Oslo Governance Centre will play a major role in fostering the sharing of governance experience and knowledge among developing countries. It will also further democratic reforms that are vital to support countries' efforts to halve the proportion of people living in extreme poverty by 2015 -- a goal agreed on by world leaders at the UN Millennium Summit.
During the opening ceremony, Hilde Frafjord Johnson, Norwegian Minister of International Development, highlighted the Centre's role and its importance for her government. The event was also attended by East Timorese Nobel Laureate Jose Ramos-Horta, who discussed progress in democracy in his country. "The Oslo Centre will be instrumental in helping developing countries build the capacity, institutions and policies that entrench good governance and the rule of law," said UNDP Administrator Mark Malloch Brown, in commending the opening of the Centre. "This is crucial in making people feel that their governments respond to their needs and are accountable to them."
The Centre will include policy advisors in the fields of human rights, justice, civil society and crisis prevention. These experts will support UNDP country offices in developing policies that address relevant governance issues. They will also foster alliances with research institutions and professional organizations to analyze new trends and establish priorities in the area of governance.
The United Nations has recognized democratic governance as one of the most critical factors in eradicating poverty. Democratic governance, in its full dimensions, is a foundation for societies where people can use all their talents and take responsibility for their own lives, creating an environment where social and economic development can flourish.
Through the Oslo Centre, UNDP will provide a window for developing countries to influence global knowledge on democratic governance and benefit from it. The Centre will also be a meeting place for all those committed to democracy and transparency as fundamental building blocks on the way towards stability and development.
The Centre's US$1.2 million annual budget will be provide by the UNDP Democratic Governance Trust Fund, which is currently supported by the Governments of Finland, the Netherlands and Norway.
The Governance Centre is one of three thematic centres supported by the UNDP Bureau for Development Policy. The others are the Poverty Centre in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, and the Drylands Development Centre in Nairobi, Kenya.
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