Ven. Dr. Thich Nhat Tu
Head of Department of Buddhist Philsopophy
Vietnam Buddhist University
While governance is the exercise of authority
– political, economic and administrative – to manage national resources
and affairs, good governance is the art of making the government more
receptive and accountable to the needs and aspirations of its populace.
used in economics (as regards corporate governance) and political
science (as regards State governance) implies effective political
institutions and the responsible use of political power by the State to
guarantee sustainable economic and human development. In varied
contexts, good governance refers to the rules, the process of
decision-making and the ways in which decisions are implemented so that
it would reinforce participation, accountability, effectiveness and
coherence in society as a whole.
governance as a concept is applicable to all sections of the society,
such as government, legislature, the private sector, the corporate
sector, secular and religious communities and non-government
organizations (NGOs). In this paper the author confines the discussion
to good governance in government in relation to a good society.
Nature of good governance
While bad governance is regarded as the root
cause of all evil within our societies, good governance is considered as
the interaction between democracy, social welfare and the rule of law.
It is not easy to achieve good governance in its totality. Establishing
good governance is to ensure sustainable human development as a reality.
There are several characteristics of good
governance, of which the following eight are of key importance:
participation, rule of law, consensus-orientation, transparency,
responsiveness, effectiveness and efficiency, equitability and
inclusiveness, and accountability.
is widely encouraged especially in decision-making and freedom of
expression, which could be either direct or through representatives.
supports an impartial legal system, which can protect human rights of
Consensus-orientation requires decision-making based on
widespread agreement to meet the
different interests of the whole community, which is essential for
sustainable human development.
open-mindedness in decision-making process, in accordance with rules and
Responsiveness is to
meet the needs of the citizenry within a reasonable timeframe.
Effectiveness and efficiency are to make
sustainable use of natural resources, providing best services that meet
the requirements and aspirations of the society, while protecting the
Equitability and inclusiveness guarantee that the sections
of the population do not get excluded
from the mainstream of the society.
enforced with transparency and the rule of law should be toward the
public and to their institutional stakeholders.
principle of good governance
While the absence of good governance is root
cause of the crisis, good governance is crucial for sustainable
development. Good governance is used as a key for building sustainable
development and peace.
Good governance is a precondition for
sustainable development. Good governance and sustainable development are
interrelated. While good governance can improve development
effectiveness, sustainable development enhances a good system of
government. In countries where there is poor governance, corruption,
abuse of human rights and lack of accountability, the development will
not be possible.
With regard to political principles, good
governance is a process of establishing an accountable form of
government which promotes a pluralist civil society, freedom of
expression and association. The basic requirement of good governance is
to build good institutions and sets of impartial legal system that
effectively govern individuals and organizations, bringing about human
well-being and happiness.
In terms of economic principles, good
governance requires policies, based on efficient open market, leading to
poverty reduction, economic growth and sustainable development.
Comparative private sectors are encouraged to develop in order to supply
the best and satisfactory services to the society. Effective
institutions and corporate governance are needed to support investments
that would lead to social and economic advancement in order to improve
the welfare of the masses.
Responsibility for good governance
Respect for the rule of law is essential to
good governance. Basing the government on rule of law is a must. While
governments govern according to the law of the land, the maintenance of
law and order, administration of justice, and welfare of society would
lead to sustainable human development.
Good governance is not only an aim in itself
but a key factor in attaining human development.
It should be guided by human rights, democracy, justice and equal
political participation for all in order to ensure human welfare,
security and peace-building. The central feature of good governance is
to ensure government and administrative reforms on the one hand, and to
support decentralization, regionalization and the development of local
government, on the other. Promoting good governance is not only a
co-operation within government institutions but also involves civil
Good governance is a cornerstone for
countries at all stages of development, whether social, economic, moral
and spiritual – both nationally and internationally. The significance of
good governance is for economic efficiency and growth. Good governance
is conducive to macroeconomic stability, external viability and
sustainable development. In order to achieve this target, the national
authorities should be responsible for governance issues.
Their willingness, commitment and involvement would make
governance a success. Good governance is principally of two spheres,
that is, improving the management of public resources through all kinds
of positive reforms and supporting the development and maintenance of a
transparent and stable economy.
Key components of
Good governance and
The best possible investment in supporting
good governance is democratic development. The true test of “good”
governance is to bring democracy. Contributing to the goal of
establishing sustainable democracies is the main concern of Buddhism.
Buddhism can take a leading role in promoting and consolidating
democracy worldwide. Promoting democracy is a better way to improve
individual opportunity for prosperity and happiness, as well as to build
a vibrant civil society. Expanding democracy in the society is to
encourage pluralism, participation, and peaceful co-existence.
Good governance demands for democratization,
political participation and impartial electoral systems. Democracy,
either electoral or consultative, requires power be vested in the people
through fair elections. It is a system of government respecting
plurality of views and opinions, and inviting civil participation in the
The non-reform-minded governments should be
encouraged to support the strengthening of governance in terms of
democracy programs that are responsive and responsible to the citizens.
Democracy programs would entail promoting the rule of law and human
rights, fair elections coupled with a competitive political process,
citizen participation in government, a free media and a responsive
structure of governance. This would make a good impact on the democratic
progress around the world.
Good governance and human rights
Good governance is established when the
realization of the value of human rights is made. Good governance would
thus conduce to the practice, observance and enjoyment of human rights,
and contribute to sustainable human development in a manner which
ensures transparency, responsibility, accountability, participation,
responsiveness to the needs of the people.
Good governance would also guarantee freedom from abuse and corruption.
Promotion of human rights, whether civil, cultural, economic,
political, social or spiritual, is the best test of good governance.
Satisfying these fundamental rights would effectively guarantee basic
needs such as health, housing, food, education, justice, security and
Good governance within each country would
create a government conducive to sustainable development at the national
and global levels.
Development cooperation is of utmost
importance for securing good governance in countries in need of external
support. The value of partnership in terms of development cooperation
should be recognized.
Governance is an art which requires a
progressive vision and consistent efforts to be effective. The goal of
good governance should be to cater to the needs and aspirations of the
citizens. Good governance works toward protecting the citizens’
fundamental human rights while endeavoring to build and sustain a
society which is progressive– socially, economically, politically and
spiritually. It uses the resources at hand skillfully, while encouraging
public participation and democratic systems and providing an
environment where human beings can lead a peaceful co-existence. The
progress of human race and protecting the environment, as urged by
Buddhism, should be its aim at large. All said and done, eventually,
only that governance which aims at working for larger human welfare –
both nationally and globally– is a good one.
Governance can be used in several contexts such as corporate governance,
international governance, national governance and local governance.
According to Roderick Rhodes, a political scientist, the concept of
governance is used in contemporary social sciences with at least six
diverse meanings: the minimal State, corporate governance, new public
management, good governance, social-cybernetic systems and
self-organized networks. For details, see R. Rhodes, “The new
governance: governing without government” (1996), in Political
Studies, Vol. 44, page 652.
The United Nations' Millennium Declaration.
The Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/64. In The
Millennium Report and Declaration, the Secretary-General emphasized
that "better governance means greater participation, coupled with
accountability. Therefore, the international public domain – including
the United Nations – must be opened up further to the participation of
the many actors whose contributions are essential to managing the path
of globalization … For the United Nations, success in meeting the
challenges of globalization ultimately comes down to meeting the needs
of peoples. It is in their name that the Charter was written; realizing
their aspirations remains our vision for the twenty-first century."