Introduction
| DOI | 10.1177/0020852304046198 |
| Published date | 01 September 2004 |
| Date | 01 September 2004 |
| Author | Jocelyne Bourgon |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Introduction
Jocelyne Bourgon
The collection of articles brought together in this issue of the International Review of
Administrative Sciences represents some of the best papers presented at the second
international regional conference of the International Institute of Administrative
Sciences (IIAS), which took place in Yaoundé, Cameroon from 14–18 July 2003. The
conference’s theme, ‘Shared Governance’, addressed the responsibilities and inter-
dependencies of civil society and public institutions at various levels (international,
national and sub-national) and how they can work best in alleviating poverty and
exclusion. As the first conference organized by the IIAS in Sub-Saharan Africa, the
occasion allowed over 300 government practitioners and students of public adminis-
tration from nearly 50 countries to share international practices in fostering develop-
ment while focusing on the particular experiences and challenges in Africa.
The theme of ‘Shared Governance’ derives from the need to develop a new par-
adigm of development — one which recognizes that no single actor, be it the market
or government, can alone transform or modernize society. Based on the successes
and failures of earlier development approaches, we are now more conscious that the
agenda for reform is far more complex than once envisaged. There are no simple
levers to create or share wealth in a given nation. Addressing poverty and exclusion
in an enduring fashion must be a collective social effort, necessitating the involve-
ment of many players and evermore complex agendas.
Despite the diverse range of issues addressed at the conference, discussions and
debate in Yaoundé reaffirmed a number of fundamental premises. These can be
summarized as follows:
●There is no one way to reduce poverty and exclusion. The unique culture and
circumstances in each country render a single development model impossible to
achieve.
Jocelyne Bourgon is Canada’s Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development as well as President Emeritus of the Canada School of Public Service. She served as the
General Rapporteur of the Second International Regional Conference of the IIAS held in Yaoundé,
Cameroon in July 2003.
Copyright © 2004 IIAS, SAGE Publications (London, Thousand Oaks, CA and New Delhi)
Vol 70(3):435–437 [DOI:10.1177/0020852304046198]
International
Review of
Administrative
Sciences
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