Jenin - Human Rights and Democracy media Center "SHAMS" held  a workshop in the village of Silat al-Harithiya in Jenin on good governance attended by large number of interested young people, in the beginning, Mahmoud Assi the coordinator of the center spoke about the center s activities and about the projects implemented by the Center.

The activist, Salim al-Kilani then presented a working paper dealt with the concept of good governance, and said that authors and researchers name good governance in  different labels such as "good governance" and "good deed" and "right governance" and "good management" and or "wise management" in order to avoid a collision with non-democratic regimes in many countries.

He said that the importance of good governance lies in working to promote the participation of all segments of society and its institutions and different political parties in the management and direction of public life, and that it creates a state of transparency and accountability in the work of all departments and ministries and institutions and in creating the structures of fair legal systems and consistent legislative frame that serve the public interest. In addition it helps in creating a state of cooperation and harmony between the government and civil society organizations and the private sector to achieve public interest.

Kilani said that transparency and accountability is a basic component of the good governance, which constitute two basic condition for the development and both concepts are interlinked and one ensures the realization of the other, there is no transparency without accountability while transparency can not be achieved without the accountability, and depends on the free flow of information according to legal principles as transparency largely prevents errors in government actions and reduces  miscalculation or waste of resources, and helps government departments to adjust their budgets in order to achieve better investment of public funds.

Kilani added that the talk about sustainable human development and good governance is still in the first stage, especially in the Arab and Islamic worlds, until recently, and perhaps ahead of the publications of the reports of United Nations Development Program, it was intended that  development only means growth and development of economy, and the replacement of the concept from economic growth to human development as a crucial element for sustainable development has adopted, the transition from the human capital to social capital reaching a comprehensive human development is interdependent on all levels of political, social, economic, cultural and environmental activities  and requires an integrated approach based on the principle of participation and planning on the long run.

He continued that good governance is linked to development through directing good governance towards meeting the needs and interests of citizens, as well as respond to new and emerging requirements, including not only the basic needs of food and drink but also needs to achieve well-being and to expand choices and opportunities and their ability to self-determination on the individual and collective levels, which constitutes the essence of the development process oriented towards the expansion of opportunities and choices for citizens.

The mechanisms for participation in the good governance vary according to type of systems and regimes, whether centralized or decentralized or a system based on the separation of powers horizontally and vertically in the community. While we can not speak about "good governance" in the centralized system, it is possible to talk about it Under the decentralized system in particular the system provides administrative decentralization, and certainly good governance requires a separation of powers and decentralization on the level of  administrative, legislative and development. He added that the centralized State is considered "higher State" with wide powers and absolute decision, while under the case of administrative decentralization, community bodies and local institutions of civil society enjoy the administrative decentralization only. In a system of separation of powers, the state is called "minor state" where sources of power are distributed on local bodies and civil society institutions, and role of government resides in coordinating the various units and institutions of society. Accordingly, the partnership between the different systems, decentralized administrative system and the system of separation of powers is that in a decentralized administrative system participation is limited in the field of administrative decisions, which only produces valid or good management, while in a system of separation of powers the participation takes the form of partnership in the production of visions, strategies and development plans, as well as in regulating and distribution of work and tasks necessary to achieve the objectives, and also involved in implementation, monitoring and evaluation, which results in good governance in all fields.

Kilani continued that good governance is not only the foundation of principles of democracy, but also the exercise of principles of democracy on the ground including all the issues of transparency, accountability and work for consensus, as well as effectiveness in responding to the needs of citizens, both regular and emergency, and creating a mechanism for effective and lasting peaceful handling of conflicts instead of resorting to violence. Concerning the relationship of good governance to development it should be close and interlinked relationship, as good governance in the political system is a tool and an important incentive for the political, economic and social development, and good governance in local government bodies is an important catalyst for local development, and good governance in economic institutions is an important incentive for economic development, and so on.

At the end of the workshop, participants recommended the need to peaceful transfer and circulation of power, through periodic elections at all levels, and to streamline of efforts of the public and private sectors and civil society institutions in fighting against corruption, and towards strengthening the rule of Law and the independence of the judiciary and to promote accountability.