ECLAC urges the implementation of new governance to adequately manage the transformations of development models in the region

The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, today stressed the importance of having new governance systems to adequately manage the much-needed transformations in development models in the region, during the inauguration of the First International Congress on Open State and Governance, organized by ECLAC, the International Open Government Academic Network (RAGA) and the National University (UNA) of Costa Rica.

“Governance encompasses institutional and coordination dynamics, incentives that allow the efforts of multiple actors to be aligned, and resources around strategic agendas for transformation. Only by addressing the challenges of governance, institutional capacities, social dialogue and political economy will we be able to move towards a more productive, inclusive and sustainable future, which is ECLAC’s motto on its 75th Anniversary and constitutes our vision for the present and the future,” said the organization’s top representative in a recorded speech.

The Rector of the National University of Costa Rica, Francisco González Alvarado, and the Deputy Rector of said university, Marianela Rojas, also participated in the opening of the meeting, which takes place until Friday, June 28 in the Costa Rican city of Heredia. Garbanzo, and José Luis Ros-Medina, Executive Secretary of RAGA International.

During his speech, José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs stressed that the transformation of development models is an urgent task, which requires addressing at least ten major structural gaps that ECLAC has defined as the decalogue of regional development challenges and that include, among others, the low capacity to grow and to create formal jobs, high inequality and low social mobility and cohesion, significant gaps in social protection, and weak educational and vocational training systems.

“All of these areas require transformational changes,” stressed the Executive Secretary of ECLAC.

He added that, in order to manage transformations, countries must address four related issues: governance challenges; the technical, operational, political and prospective (TOPP) capacities of institutions; the role of spaces for social dialogue; and the political economy of reforms and transformations.

For his part, Francisco González, Rector of the UNA, highlighted that “the open State transcends the mere dissemination of information and encompasses a fundamental change in the dynamics of power: citizens become active participants, they are no longer just passive recipients. “They participate in the debate on public affairs and establishing responsibilities for the actions of the Government.”

The Deputy Rector of the UNA, Marianela Rojas Garbanzo, meanwhile, highlighted that, “on the path of construction towards an open University, we have learned that, beyond the transparency of offering public data, it is necessary to visualize the role that our academy performs before society and improve the mechanisms that allow greater evidence to continue being considered the necessary university for all citizens.”

José Luis-Ross, Secretary of RAGA International, stated that “the first Open State Congress is not only the congress of a network, it is a network congress; “It is an open congress for collective action against the difficulties of Ibero-America.”

The First Congress of Open State and Governance seeks to provide a space in which representatives of the academic sector, as well as State institutions, civil society, the private sector and multilateral and cooperation organizations, can present and discuss their research. , results and reflections on the open State and the new governance that is needed to address the structural gaps in the development of our region.

The conferences will be organized around five thematic branches: 1) Open governments, 2) Open parliaments, 3) Open justice, 4) Open academia and 5) New governance and innovation, with their respective sub-themes, which consider the pillars of open government and its application in public policies, in all their diversity.

During the meeting, ECLAC will have a leading role, leading keynote talks and participating in various panels that will reflect on the open State and the new governance. In addition, he will present the document “Open State and public management: the role of the academic sector”, which addresses the role of the academic sector as a fundamental actor in the co-construction of open and inclusive public policies.