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Topic Discussion II
Building Public Trust
Elections & Legislatures
Room 3
(10 of 23 pages)
The fourth point is the equitable distribution of means, especially financial
means, to conduct or to manage political parties or even set up political parties and for electoral campaigns,
especially in the field of the distribution, the allocation of public funds. So this principle has to be established
and from that one derives the issue of the public media where we have to ensure also the fair distribution of time,
of means of communication.
The issue of education -- this item I just mentioned is very important not on developing countries, of course,
but also in the developed countries, and it has major implications. If you have someone you know having millions
or billions of dollars and he is put there as the leader, to lead the country or to participate in the leadership
in world affairs, you know the issue of money is very, very important. You don't always have the best people in
the best places. Since money plays a major role in putting in place leaders in different countries, even internationally.
The issue of education and communications is very, very important, especially in countries where you have 90% illiteracy
because people question the real functioning of democracy if education is not there, if people cannot read. So
I think there we could suggest the best possible use of the new technologies. Of new technologies in the field
of information communication. Reaching out to the grassroots and to the people, everywhere in our countries. That
would mean also, on the part of the international community, some help or assistance to put in place these new
technologies, this new equipment, to get the people really informed about what is being discussed.
The other point I see is the necessity to develop some sort of international code to give minority groups the guarantees
they need. When I see minority groups, it means ethnic groups, cultural groups, political, economic, to balance
the major role majority parties in developing countries. The roles of NGOs presenting civil societies should be
strengthened, especially for the education of the people, discussion of the issues and so on. Therefore, Mr. Chairman,
we have to suggest strengthening of NGOs, non-governmental organizations.
Now about domestic and international observation of electoral processes, elections, there we should suggest the
strengthening of these, provided the composition of these commissions is fair, provided there is no interference
and we have seen that in some countries on the part of so-called international observers, but they tend to be sometimes
too one sided.
Finally, and this is a suggestion at the global level, since we have an assembly of governments, namely the General
Assembly of the United Nations, with its influence on the shaping of policies to develop this international observation
system, especially elections, not only in developing countries, I would suggest, because why not allowing the representatives
of developing countries to have a say in how things are managed, especially in decision making centers, decisions
that affect their future in the political field, economic, financial, the management of world affairs. Therefore,
the general assembly would have a role as well as the network of NGOs, quite powerful I must say, within the United
Nation system. In different institutions, the GA itself, UNESCO, all the institutions of the United Nations system,
the economic missions, regional, the NGOs are there so we have to see to it that these are interventions. The role
of NGOs, civil society representatives internationally through this network, they are informed about the issues;
the way the papers and decision are prepared and how they would make their contribution. The views of civil society
know, and this is extremely important, so here we could, in my view Mr. Chairman through this panel, this workshop,
make a positive contribution to the discussion of the issue of building public trust. It's important that all levels,
as we can see, we should not neglect what is taking place in the developed countries, the most important ones indeed,
and it is in their interest since all of us want democracy, we want equitable share of indecision making and implementation,
associating all citizens, all countries within the framework of this equitable, fair approach to all these fundamental
issues. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
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