This post is a summary of two articles, the first one published at http://www.foresttransparency.info/, with the title above. The other, published at http://unpan.org/, ( United Nations Public Administration Network ), with the title of, " Ethics, transparency and accountability."
There is no commonly agreed definition of transparency, but there is a general consensus that it relates to the right to know and public access to information. In a broad sense, transparency is about how much access to internally-held information citizens are entitled to, the scope, accuracy and timeliness of this information, and what citizens can do if "information holders" are not sufficiently forthcoming in providing such access. Excessive secrecy can undermine the quality of public decision-making and prevent citizens from checking the abuse of public power. This can have a corrosive effect on virtually all aspects of society and governance. Transparency, in terms of both information disclosure and dissemination is therefore very important as it better enables civil society to hold government to account, improve public efficiency and combat corruption.
THE BENEFITS OF TRANSPARENCY.
1 - Democracy, accountability and participation - the public is only able to truly participate in the democratic process when they have information about the activities and policies of government, and when people can see what benefits and services they are entitled to and whether they are receiving what should be expected. Access to relevant information can create a basis for exchange, allowing both official and the public to better decisions.
2 - Good governance - higher degree of clarity and openness about how decisions are taken can help to build the capacity of the poor to play a role in policy formulation, to influence decisions that affect their lives and to encourage policy-makers to exercise their power for the greater good.
3 - Increased efficiency and effectiveness - greater transparency is considered to be a key component of public policy and efficiency. Studies shown that in countries where information flows freely in both directions: the knowledge, when opens to public scrutiny can make government bodies work better. Effectiveness is improved, decision-makers need feedback on how policies are working in practice. Efficiency in the allocation of resources can also be improved, by ensuring that benefits of growth are redistributed.
4 - A weapon against corruption - as noted by the NGO Transparency International, " information is perhaps the most important weapon against corruption," since: guarantee access to information enables citizens, media and law enforcement agencies to use official records as a means to uncover cases of corruption and maladiministration, increasing the risk of detection of corrupt practices.
Spreading democratization and globalization, among other factors, are altering the environment in which governments are operating. The explosion of new information and communication technologies is also allowing for a rapid, global diffusion of ideas and practices, enabling the public to demand higher standards of ethics, transparency and accountability in the public sector. These prerequisite values of good governance not only buttress responsive public policy and high level of public sector performance but also play a crucial role in preventing the onset of systemic corruption. There is now international recognition that corruption impedes economic development, undermines stability, erodes trust in public institutions and effects with the lack or poor quality of essential public infrastructure and services. The division for public administration and development management supports setting international activities seek to preserve the integrity of honest public officials by putting into place an "ethics infrastructure" that not only provides guidance for good conduct but also administratively and legally punishes misconduct. The "ethics infrastructure" includes measures to enhance and preserve organizational integrity, access to information that promotes transparencyand accountability, and oversight by independent institutions and the public at large.
" The democratic process provides for political and social change without violence."
Aung San Suu Kyi
"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people, they are the only sure
reliance for the preservation of liberty."
Thomas Jefferson
reliance for the preservation of liberty."
Thomas Jefferson
" Transparency is for government and for big organizations, privacy is for individuals."
Julian Assange
" The capacity of man for justice makes democracy possible, but the inclination
of man to injustice makes democracy necessary."
Reinhold Niebuhr
of man to injustice makes democracy necessary."
Reinhold Niebuhr
