Governance

Our focus

Governance

Overview

Across the region, public demand and expectation for more effective governance systems and delivery of high-quality public services is on the rise. At the same time, corruption, lack of transparency and varying levels of government responsiveness and effectiveness at all levels are persistent impediments to inclusive growth and development. Increasing centralization of authorities have also led to undermining of capacity and authorities at the local level, weakening already challenged local governance systems.

Simultaneously, governments are looking to innovations and technology to help streamline and improve governance systems. Across the region, all governments have introduced various forms of digitalization and technology applications, particularly to improve delivery of basic public services. However, digital divide and lack of readiness of public institutions to understand the opportunities and risks behind digitalization have also led to further increasing risks of social and economic divides, the spread of misinformation and disinformation and false narratives, and encroachment on privacy and human rights. The COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated digital development significantly in just a period of one year, also exposed the extent of digital divide and the lack of readiness of many public, private, academic, and civil society institutions, as well as communities and individuals particularly those in the fringes of development, to benefit from the opportunities of digitalization.

As countries and territories in the region accelerate efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, improving the effectiveness of governance systems and building and sustaining peace become increasingly more significant to ensure just, inclusive and peaceful societies.

Our goals

UNDP works to empower nations, communities and individuals to make their own informed, sustainable choices, towards more inclusive and resilient societies where the social contract is preserved and governments hold themselves accountable in serving all people regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, and social and economic class. We work to increase public participation in decision-making at all levels, and to support gender-responsive institutions and policies, towards a stronger and more inclusive social contract. We work to strengthen the rule of law, ensure efficient and fair justice systems, and support the promotion and protection of human rights for all.

In depth

In all our work, digital transformation, gender sensitivity, governance innovations, and youth empowerment provide cross-cutting approaches that help further contextualize, adapt and target development solutions that we employ at regional, national and local levels.

What we do

UNDP works with partners in Europe and Central Asia in the following areas:

Accountable, Inclusive and Effective Governance

Support inclusive, whole-of-society approach to digital transformation;
Combat corruption and increase transparency;
Facilitate effective decentralization and strengthen local governance capacities;
Strengthen e-governance and public service delivery, and foster open governance and the use of open data;
Strengthen the capacity of civil society;
Support efforts to reform and improve the functioning of parliaments and increase women’s equal political participation;
Support inclusive political processes including civic engagement and electoral support;
Empower young men and women as future leaders and agents of change.

Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding

Sustain peace, recovery and confidence-building;
Explore development solutions to preventing violent extremism;
Addressing misinformation, disinformation, false narratives and hate speech
Strengthening social cohesion
Enhancing conflict sensitive policies and development programming

Rule of law, justice, security and human rights.

Strengthen national systems of human rights protection;
Improve people’s access to justice and reform legislative and justice systems;
Enhance community security and reduce armed violence;
Prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence;
Support transitional justice in places with a legacy of conflict;

Programme and initiatives

Responsible and accountable institutions

UNDP defines governance as “the system of values, policies and institutions by which a society manages its economic, political and social affairs through interactions within and among the state, civil society and private sector. It is the way a society organizes itself to make and implement decisions—achieving mutual understanding, agreement and action”. They are anchored on six key principles: participation, inclusion, non-discrimination, equality, rule of law and accountability. When these principles are applied to strengthen performance, adaptability, and stability -- institutional values and qualities that are critical to develop and implement effective and equitable policy measures, they provide the foundation for responsive, inclusive and effective governance systems.

Inclusive political processes

Although there is significant variation between countries, levels of political freedom, openness and accountability in the Europe and Central Asia region are a challenge. The region has seen improvement, and this positive trend is expected to continue with extensive reforms processes underway in many countries.

Conflict prevention and peacebuilding

Rule of law, justice, security and human rights

The protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms is highly inconsistent across the region. Effective rule of law, weak national human rights protection systems, lack of democratic policing, politically compromised judicial systems, and a general lack of access to justice are some of the most significant challenges.

While most countries and territories in the Western Balkans have relatively stable democracies, several countries elsewhere in the Europe and Central Asia region continue to be highly restrictive politically.

HIV, health and development

Eastern Europe and Central Asia is one of only three regions in the world where the HIV epidemic continues to grow. New HIV infections are rising dramatically, with almost no decline of AIDS-related deaths. According to UNAIDS 2020 Global AIDS Update Report “Seizing the Moment”, between 2010 and 2019, new HIV infections have risen by 72 percent and AIDS-related deaths have increased by 24 percent.