Consensus among Stakeholders for Strengthened Governance in Senegal

Minister of State for Justice and Keeper of the Seals of Senegal Mr. Madické Niang, and World Bank Country Director for Senegal Mr. Madani M. Tall, both explained the importance of governance in a country such as Senegal, which seeks to establish an international business climate in the years ahead.

In his opening address at the workshop, Mr. Tall made a fervent appeal for a partnership among stakeholders, because, as he indicated, improved governance requires “reforms that are sometimes complex and costly, which cannot be implemented successfully or within reasonable time periods without strategic partnerships with key stakeholders such as the private sector, civil society, and the other development partners.”

In his presentation, the representative of the Senegalese Government endorsed the need to strengthen good governance while outlining the reforms that have already been implemented by Senegal, including the establishment of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority [Autorité de régulation des marchés publics], and the reform of the justice system, which was undertaken with World Bank support. However, Mr. Niang called for capacity building of judges in order to allow them to fully exercise their role.

The workshop brought together good governance stakeholders in Senegal, which facilitated discussions on the role and responsibility of civil service, civil society, and the development partners. The participants identified their respective constraints with respect to compliance with good governance rules and made recommendations regarding the responsibilities of the State, the development partners, and non-government stakeholders.

The donors were asked to harmonize their messages, among themselves and at their head and local offices, and it was suggested that the State streamline the establishment of implementing entities, which too often lessen the responsibility of the ministries. Increased transparency and strengthened governance were also recommended for private sector enterprise and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

Discussions were organized around several presentations. For the international institutions, Mr. Alex Segura, the International Monetary Fund resident representative for Senegal, outlined the possible role of development partners, while Maguèye Dia and Haroune Sidatt of the World Bank made a presentation on “Governance and Economic Growth” and “The Role and Responsibilities of the Development Partners: the Case of the World Bank.” Ms. Mbathio Samb of the Civil Forum described the role of civil society, underscoring the fact that “participation can take the form of direct consultation, a participatory type partnership, the joint development of public policies, citizen oversight, the production of knowledge through participatory research, etc.”

The representative for State Reform and Technical Assistance, Mr. Abdoulaye Racine Kane, examined the “synergies among the various State institutions.” Lastly, Mr. Mansour Diop, President of the Public Procurement Regulatory Agency, [Agence de régulation des marchés publics], examined the “Contribution of Civil Society to the Improved Performance of Procurement in Senegal: the Case of the Public Procurement Regulatory Agency.”

A number of the approximately 50 participants—representatives from civil service, academia, the private sector, civil society, and the media—had already taken part in consultations on the “Governance and Anti-Corruption” (GAC) strategy, which was launched two years ago by the World Bank, and implemented in December 2007 by World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick.

Gilberto De Barros, head of the “private sector” program, gave assurances that the World Bank will provide full support for the implementation of the workshop’s recommendations.

Contributed by Mademba Ndiaye, World Bank Senegal
E-mail: mademba@worldbank.org