afrol News, 5 February - At an ongoing national workshop on good governance, the Mauritanian Ministry of Economy and Development aims at promoting the rule of law in the country. The government is trying to engage civil servants and private businesses in its good governance efforts, presenting "enlightened directives".

According to the Mauritanian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Development, a two-day workshop on good governance, organised by the Ministry in Nouakchott, was ended today. The workshop was attended by the Ministry, representatives of Mauritanian civil servants, elected officials, civil society and the private sector.

Economy Minister Abdallahi Ould Cheikh Sidya yesterday had opened the workshop by saying that his government was aiming at promoting the rule of law in the country as part of its ongoing good governance campaign. For that purpose, the country's legal framework would be improved.

In Mauritania's 10-year-old fight against poverty - often celebrated by the World Bank and the IMF - promoting institutional development based on good governance has been one out of four basic strategies.

This, according to the national plan to promote good governance, includes the consolidation of the rule of law, strengthening of administrative capacities, decentralisation, transparency in the management of public resources and development of the capacities of civil society.

The Mauritanian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Development also recently discussed good governance in a "Development Debate" with the World Bank. Also here, "the rule of law, participation, decentralisation and the strengthening of the role of civil society" were targeted as an important step towards poverty reduction.

Yesterday and today, Minister Ould Cheikh Sidya found it appropriate to broaden the campaign for good governance, calling for a wider participation of state and non-state stakeholders. According to the Ministry, discussions at the workshop had been "marked by frankness and serenity."

The Ministry however also admitted that it had handed out the "enlightened directives" for good governance of President Maaouya Ould Taya among the workshop's participants. Nevertheless, the government was happy to note that it had realised its aim of civil society participation in staking out its good governance policies by organising the workshop.

As the Minister of Economy noted, good governance had occupied "a central place in the electoral programme" of President Ould Taya before the November elections - "a programme which was largely supported by the Mauritanian people at the time of the elections." This programme, the so-called 'Horizon 2015', had placed good governance as the principal priority of the state, the Minister added.

Also participating at the Nouakchott workshop were the resident representative of the World Bank and of the UN development agency, UNDP. While the World Bank takes actively part in shaping Mauritania's economic policy, UNDP has taken the lead in what the agency calls "coordinating a participatory development and good governance exercise in Mauritania."

At the end of the workshop, the stakeholder had all agreed to the programme presented by Minister Ould Cheikh Sidya. This was today welcomed by UNDP representative Cécile Molinier, saying that the decision "constitutes a new step within the framework of a series of steps reached by Mauritania towards development and progress."

By staff writer

© afrol News

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