'Why is good governance not on SAARC agenda?' -Governance Now

'Why is good governance not on SAARC agenda?'

Former Pak minister Sherry Rehman also rues RTI's unrealized potential in South Asia

Trithesh Nandan | April 28, 2010

As the 16th SAARC summit opens up in Thimpu, Bhutan, former information minister of Pakistan Sherry Rehman has questioned why the quality of governance is not on summit agenda. “We are in another SAARC Summit, the issue of good and transparent governance should be first and foremost item on agenda but this is not there," Rehman said, speaking at a conference – Transparent Governance in South Asia -- organised by the World Bank on Tuesday in New Delhi.

Rehman, who is currently member of National Assembly in Pakistan, also said bad politics was going to trump quality of governance in South Asia. “There is classical barrier to the disclosure of information. Communication, emails, internets are regularly blocked in India and Pakistan by the successive governments," she said.

Though Rehman said the right to information legislations had brought positive changes in South Asia but there was a lot yet to achieve. “It is equally important to know where we are not growing." Rehman also said Pakistan pioneered RTI revolution in the South Asia by becoming first country in South Asia to pass the legislation in 2002 but it still lacked a strong information sharing system. According to Rehman, “Rajasthan social audit is consistently quoted in Pakistan but then it stops there.” She stressed on sharing of more information in the region for proper establishment of the good governance.

India has brought its proper system of RTI, said Toby Mendel, Executive Director, Centre of Law and Democracy, Canada. But he questioned the role of other countries in SAARC. “India is positive but what about other countries in the South Asia.”

Full potential of RTI has not been used in bringing good governance in the South Asian countries, said Anisatul Fatema Yousuf, Director, Centre for Policy Dialogue, Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka is yet to have proper RTI in its statue books. Sri Lanka faces enormous challenges in the post conflict situation. “How will RTI bring changes in the post conflict situation in Sri Lanka,” said Maja Daruwala, Director, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative.

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