United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Feb. 8 cited Islamic teachings in advocating for government transparency and inclusiveness.
In a speech at the World Government Summit in Dubai he said: “The challenges facing governments are not only on the emergency front. People around the world are calling as never before for greater transparency, accountability and democracy.”
Ban also said, “Governments that operate in opaque, exclusive and unaccountable ways, or fail to empower local authorities, often plant the seeds of discontent.” He continued, “When governments don’t allow the public to participate in decisions, they breed suspicion; when governments make decisions on the basis of favoritism, social or ethnic divisions, discrimination or corruption, citizens become deeply aggrieved,” he continued.
Bringing up Islamic teachings, Ban said:
The demands for good governance, in fact, are not a recent phenomenon. The demands are rooted in the traditions and history of many cultures, including the Arab and Islamic world. The scholar Imam Muslim recounted words said by the prophet, quote, “One whom I appoint to a public office must render account on everything, big and small.” The Arab philosopher Ibn Khaldun wrote in his opus, theMuqqaddimah, that the social compact between the individual and tribes was a sacred bond based on mutual accountability, protection, and proper and reliable delivery of such basic services as security and justice. Ibn Khaldun said the worst kind of state is a tyranny wherein government usurps property rights and rules with injustice against the rights of men.
So what’s the best way forward today? We believe that the answer is what we call inclusive governance. At the core of inclusive governance is a social compact between government officials and their citizens that is based on three principles. First, governments must be transparent in their actions and fully engage with citizens. Second, governments must invest in their people to give them opportunity to reach their full potential. And third, governments must create business environments that encourage innovation, competition and private sector investment, which will, in turn, create jobs and increase economic growth.
Filed under: What's New