WHAT
IS DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE?
Governance
is a concept that involves the interactions among structures,
processes and traditions that determine how power is exercised,
how decisions are taken, and how citizens or other stakeholders
have their say. It comprises the mechanisms, processes
and institutions through which people articulate their
interests, mediate their differences and exercise their
rights and obligation.
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| HOW
CAN UNDP SUPPORT IT? |
UNDP brings people together
within nations and around the world, building partnerships
and sharing ways to promote participation, accountability
and effectiveness at all levels. We help countries strengthen
their electoral and legislative systems, improve access to
justice and public administration, and develop a greater capacity
to deliver basic services to those most in need.
Thematic Trust Fund For Innovative Governance
Interventions:
UNDP relies on a new instrument -- Thematic
Trust Funds -- to help achieve development goals. In Turkey,
the Thematic Trust Fund has been an invaluable resource for
the Country Office to support Government and non-governmental
partners pioneer new initiatives in democratic governance.
In 2004 and 2005 the Thematic Trust Fund has
supported the country office's work in Fiscal Decentralization,
and Preparatory Assistance for Civilian Oversight of the
Security Sector
and starting in 2006 Women in Politics.
The Democratic Governance Trust Fund (DGTTF)
has created a window of opportunity for the UNDP and its partners
to explore new areas of programmatic intervention and partnerships
that allow for scaling up of such initiatives. For example,
the main output of our work in fiscal decentralization, is
a policy guidance note on how to manage intergovernmental
revenue sharing for poverty reduction purposes (click here
to access the publication in Turkish only). This policy guidance
note is now a key resource for the Government's Local Administration
Reform programming, also managed by UNDP under a European
Commission agreement.
UNDP support to the Ministry of Interior through
2005 in promoting the security sector reform debate has led
into this Ministry's further work with several donors and
the European Commission in Security Sector Reform programming.
Since its creation, DGTTF's principal donors
have been Norway, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy, together
with Finland, Portugal, Austria, Luxembourg, New Zealand and
the Norwegian company Statoil.
WHAT IS HAPPENING
IN TURKEY?
| In
Turkey, the system of governance has traditionally been
highly centralized. In recent years, however, changes
have taken place as a result of structural reforms necessitated
by past economic crises and through changing priorities
relating to Turkey's development and reform agenda that
are in-line with its EU aspirations. As part of its ambitious
development agenda, Turkey is focusing on implementing
reforms related to decentralization, public administration
reform, and anti-corruption. There is increasing attention
on the issue of women's empowerment and participation
in the political process at local and central levels.
The government is also prioritizing in 2005 greater use
of information communication and technology as a means
to increase transparency, efficiency, and participation
in decision-making processes especially for traditionally
excluded populations such |
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women and youth. While these reforms and initiatives are
moving forward, there remain additional challenges in
building capacities of public administration officials
at the central and local levels, and in addressing remaining
rights-based issues including internal displacement. |
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ONGOING
PROJECTS
For
details of recently completed programmes in Turkey,
click
here.
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