Asian Center for Democratic Governance >> Making Democracy Work: Accountability & Transparency

Report of the Inaugural Conference of the Asian Center for Democratic Governance
7 - 8 January 2001
New Delhi, India

Program:

  • About this Report
  • Agenda
  • Opening Remarks
  • Session 1:
    Why Transparency & Accountability Matter: Good Governance in a Democracy
  • Dinner Remarks
  • Session 2:
    Ensuring Accountability: The Role of Parliament
  • Session 3:
    Ensuring Accountability and the Rule of Law: the Role of the Judiciary
  • Session 4:
    Ensuring Transparency: the Role of the Media
  • Concluding Remarks
  • Conference Presenters


    The views expressed in this report do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for Democracy, the Confederation of Indian Industry, or any of the groups that have contributed to this project. Photocopies may be made. When using any part of this document, please cite the National Endowment for Democracy and the Confederation of Indian Industry.
    • About this Report

    On January 7-8, 2001, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), in cooperation with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), hosted the inaugural conference of the Asian Center for Democratic Governance in New Delhi, India. The conference, entitled "Making Democracy Work: Accountability and Transparency," included participants from 12 different countries in Asia, as well as democratic governance experts and practitioners from the United States and the United Kingdom. The aim of this event was to identify and discuss key issues, such as accountability and transparency, relating to democratic governance in Asia, and to generate ideas on the future focus and direction of the Asian Center for Democratic Governance.

    The conference was divided into four sessions: 1) Why Transparency and Accountability Matter: Good Governance in a Democracy; 2) Ensuring Accountability: the Role of Parliament; 3) Ensuring Accountability and the Rule of Law: the Role of the Judiciary; and 4) Ensuring Transparency: the Role of the Media. Najma Heptulla, Member of Parliament and Deputy Chairperson of India's Rajya Sabha, and President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, delivered the introductory address; Richard Celeste, United States Ambassador to India, and Arun Jaitley, Indian Member of Parliament and Minister for Law, Justice & Company Affairs, spoke at dinner on January 7; and Satish Kaura, Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry's Public Policy Committee, presented concluding remarks.

    This report summarizes the major presentations and the comments and discussions at the conference. While every effort has been made to portray accurately the opinions expressed, space constraints have required omissions and paraphrasing.

    This document was written by Paul Flather, Secretary General of the Europaeum, an association of European universities, and edited and prepared by Gautam Adhikari and Peter McSharry of the Asian Center for Democratic Governance. Any errors in fact or interpretation should be attributed to the author and editors.

    The Asian Center for Democratic Governance (ACDG) has been set up as a partnership between the National Endowment for Democracy, Washington DC, and the Confederation of Indian Industry, New Delhi. Based in New Delhi, the ACDG will hold regional workshops as well as larger international conferences on leading themes related to the development and strengthening of democracy in market economies. The conferences will be designed to introduce participants to the latest thinking on the subject through panel presentations by leading scholars and practitioners from India and the region's other established democracies, the newer democracies such as Thailand, Mongolia, and Nepal, transitional countries such as Indonesia, as well as multilateral development institutions, the United States and other relevant democracies.

    The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) was established to help build a strong national economy in India that could be globally integrated. It represents and services over 3,700 companies and industries, including both private sector and government-owned corporations and utilities. CII is today the leading umbrella organization for industry in India and a repository of information and knowledge covering a range of aspects of the relationship between government, Indian industry, and international business. Since they function commercially within a vibrant democracy, CII's members are keenly interested in exploring and understanding a wide variety of issues that relate to prospects for good governance within a democratic constitutional framework. CII's experience in organizing large international gatherings - including the inaugural assembly of the WMD in February 1999 - as well as smaller, focused seminars and workshops is unparalleled in India.
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