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Past Event

A Global Economy and Development and Transparency and Accountability Event

Ministries of Finance and Civil Society Organizations: Friends or Foes?

Global Governance, Global Economics, Global Finance, Globalization, Civil Society


Event Summary

Civil society organizations (CSOs) can play an important role in enhancing transparency and good governance in developing countries, particularly on issues surrounding the formulation and implementation of government budgets and greater transparency of public revenues. Too often, however, CSOs are viewed by governments as political adversaries and policy lightweights. More effective participation of civil society groups on fiscal transparency will require strengthening the capacity of these organizations to participate on these issues. At the same time, senior government officials must welcome the increasing involvement of civil society as an opportunity to increase debate on public finance issues.

Event Information

When

Thursday, October 18, 2007
1:30 PM to 4:00 PM

Where

Kenney Auditorium
Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
1740 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
Map

Contact: Brookings Office of Communications

E-mail: events@brookings.edu

Phone: 202.797.6105

On October 18, Brookings hosted Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, distinguished visiting fellow with Global Economy and Development, who was recently named Managing Director of the World Bank, for a presentation of her paper titled The Role of Civil Society Organizations in Supporting Fiscal Transparency in African Countries. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala was joined by several African finance ministers and representatives from African CSOs. Global Economy and Development Senior Fellow Charles Griffin introduced and moderated the discussion.

Transcript

Charles Griffin:  The purpose of our Transparency and Accountability Project is to improve the quality, fairness and impact of public spending. Our particular focus is public spending in low- and middle-income countries. But, as you all know, the problem of doing a better job with government spending is not limited to poorer countries. Rich countries have exactly the same problem.

A glaring difference, though, between the environments in richer and poorer countries is the openness and the intensity of the public debate surrounding budgets and expenditures.

Participants

Introduction and Moderator

Charles C. Griffin

Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development

Presenter

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development

Closing Remarks

Warren Krafchik

Director, International Budget Project, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Panelists

Shamsuddeen Usman

Minister of Finance, Nigeria

Jean-Baptiste Compaore

Minister of Finance, Burkina Faso

Goodall E. Gondwe

Minister of Finance, Malawi

Anthony Akoto Osei

Minister of State at Ministry of Finance, Ghana

Gilbert Maoundonodji

Coordinator, Group for Alternative Research and Monitoring of the Chad-Cameroon

Aloysius Toe

Executive Director, Foundation for Human Rights and Democracy


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