Hanoi (VNA) – The 11th Asian leadership forum themed public governance for sustainable development goals was held in Hanoi on October 17 as part of the 2023 conference of the Eastern Regional Organisation for Public Administration (2023 EROPA).

The forum provides a chance for policymakers in Asia-Pacific to discuss important and urgent issues in the fields of public administration and governance, said Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Trieu Van Cuong who co-chaired the event along with Prof. Dr. Kikuchi Masao from Meiji University, Japan. 

Since the first forum held in November 2010 during the 56th EROPA in Nepal, the forum has dealt with many important topics such as leadership in responding to global trends, international and global integration, and leadership for the success of administrative reform, he noted.

Cuong said that the forum is also a venue for leaders to discuss new and challenging matters and innovation methods towards a public administration with higher quality, demonstrating a new vision in today's era with the active participation of different actors in society to solve common problems at all levels from local to national.

At the forum, senior leaders exchanged their ideas on issues of decisive significance to sustainable development and prosperity of nations. 

Sharing the Philippines’ experience, Secretary of the Interior and Local Government of the Philippines Benjamin Abalos Jr. talked about the country's local economic recovery programme, which set specific indicators and targets, and annually monitored these indicators, ensuring a good level of policy compliance, while continuously developing new policies and building capacity for local governments. At the same time, the Philippines has synchronised corporate and business licensing systems and ensured the processes takes place in a short time of 20 - 21 days, he said. 

The Philippines has operated an electronic management system with 879 administrative agencies have operated electronic single-window offices, he added. 

In a video clip sent to the forum, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Astana Civil Service Hub of Kazakhstan highlighted achievements that EROPA member countries have gained in developing the administrative system. To achieve development goals, it is necessary to mobilise the participation of all people, especially the creativity of the young generation which is regarded as generation Z, he held.

He said that the establishment and participation in multilateral forums on public administration such as EROPA have greatly helped Kazakhstan to promote the development of an efficient and quality public administration.  

Dato Anesee Ibrahim, Deputy Director General of Public Service of Malaysia said that in order to ensure the success of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is crucial to foster the coordination among government agencies, social organisations, the private sector and scholars. Comprehensive implementation of the SDGs requires effective resource mobilisation, capacity building and financial resources, he stressed.

The inclusion of SDGs goals in national development programmes, projects, and action programmes on national development has helped his country achieve the set targets, he said.

EROPA, an international organisation of states, groups and individuals in the region of Asia and the Pacific, was founded in 1960 as a response to the common desire among developing and developed countries to promote regional cooperation in improving knowledge, systems and practices of government administration to help accelerate economic and social development.

It was the first organisation in the region to be devoted to the development of public administration in order to advance the economic and social development of countries in Asia and the Pacific./.