Shell has announced its sponsorship for the Regional Forum on Reinventing Government in the Region of Arab States, which is held in Dubai from 21-23 March 2005 and organised by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the UNDP Programme of Governance in the Arab Region (POGAR), in partnership with the Dubai School of Government in the UAE. One of several regional events worldwide, the Dubai forum is one of the preparatory activities leading up to the 6th Global Forum on Reinventing Government which will be held in Seoul, Republic of South Korea from 24-27 May 2005 and whose theme is 'Toward Participatory and Transparent Governance'. "In a dynamic and fast-changing world, governments hold the key to societal development, prosperity and welfare," said Hussain Al Mahmoudi, External Affairs Manager, Shell. "The task of spreading the message of good governance is synergistic to Shell's philosophy of the need to promote sound values, democracy and accountability. We are delighted to support this highly important event as part of our worldwide commitment to social welfare." The objective of the forum is to assist governments in the achievement of their efforts to increase integrity and increase transparency and accountability in public agencies. It also aims to build the capabilities of government institutions and civil society to work together towards instituting a culture of integrity in the delivery of public services. "The forum offers participating countries an opportunity to share their experiences and to examine the outcomes of their initiatives. It serves as a platform for discussing feasible solutions, as well as a base from which to build a network among participating countries to ensure continued learning and the joint development of best practices," said Al Mahmoudi. Beside the national consultants who are preparing country-specific case studies for this event, international experts from the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Bank and the TIRI Organization (UK) are sharing their experiences. The conclusions and recommendations of this forum will be presented at the 6th Global Forum on Reinventing Government next May.
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