Good governance is foundation for sustainable dev’t – Prof Shyaka

The Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), Professor Anastase Shyaka, told scholars, that Rwanda views strengthening good governance as the foundation for sustainable development and peace.

Monday, August 13, 2012

The Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), Professor Anastase Shyaka, told scholars, that Rwanda views strengthening good governance as the foundation for sustainable development and peace.Addressing the just concluded, Democratic Governance Speakers Series in Washington, organised by the Atlantic Council and the International Republican Institute, Prof. Shyaka provided a retrospective assessment of democratisation and political governance in Rwanda as well as provided analyses of the progress and challenges of governance in Rwanda.The Rwandan government seeks to develop a common understanding of governance issues, various home-grown solutions and media reforms that contribute to the overall success of governance in the country, he said."The Rwandan Governance Board was created as a one-stop-centre for governance in the country,” Shyaka said."Building solid relationships amongst governments should go beyond simple aid but also improve key initiatives that harbour the growth of governance and democracy.”  "The ultimate goal of this conference is to provide a platform to discuss multiple dimensions of democratic governance and corruption and help devise strategies to improve governance practices and anti-corruption strategies for the countries in the developing world,” a statement from the Rwandan Embassy in Washington said.Shyaka was also part of the first "International Conference on Democratic Governance, Challenges in Africa and Asia” at the University of Pennsylvania and Cheyney University, an initiative that was co-hosted by RGB. The conference featured discussions with Ambassadors of Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria and Botswana as well as presentations on governance from over 60 scholars and practitioners from Asia, Africa, Europe and the United States. The series were attended by notable speakers such as Paul Fagan, Regional Director of Africa at the International Republic Institute, and Dr Peter Pham, Director of the Michael S. Ansari Africa Centre at the Atlantic Council, who also presented thoughts about governance and democracy.