- Introduction of the Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA)
The Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA) 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 organization 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. EROPA is also a forum for exchanging information and initiatives on approaching innovation towards an efficient, effective, and transparent administration.
The EROPA consists of state members, group members, and individual members in the Asia-Pacific region, including 10 state members, 58 institutes or schools of public administration and universities, and agencies whose achievements in the field of governance and public administration are recognized. In addition, there are also 229 individual members participating in EROPA.
EROPA endeavors to achieve its objectives through regional conferences, seminars, training programs, and publications. Its activities are carried out through the EROPA headquarters in Manila, as well as through its five regional centers, namely the EROPA Development Management Center in Gwacheon, the Republic of Korea, the EROPA E-Government Research Center in Beijing, China, the EROPA Local Government Center in Tokyo, Japan, the EROPA Policy Studies Center in Jakarta, Indonesia, and the EROPA Training Center in New Delhi, India.
EROPA works towards the following objectives: 1/Promoting good practices and conduct in public administration and management within the region in order to achieve a high standard of service to the governments and their publics; 2/ Developing an appreciation of the value and importance of effective and efficient public administration; 3/ Developing and promoting the study of public administration; 4/ Fostering cooperation, communication and understanding amongst organizations and individuals having an interest in public administration; 5/Developing leadership qualities and management expertise, especially at the executive and middle management levels.
In order to realize the above objectives, EROPA has conducted several activities, such as organizing international or inter-regional conferences; establishing committees for research and publishing research papers and journals; establishing and maintaining an information resource centre and distributing and exchanging documents; affiliating and liaising with other international organizations involved in public administration; conducting training programs; establishing professional training centers; establishing national and/or local chapters or branches of EROPA; establishing programs for the exchange of public administration practitioners, academics and students.
As one of the leading organizations in the Asia-Pacific Region, EROPA is officially recognized by the United Nations Public Administration Network (UNPAN) as one of its Online Regional Center. Thus, EROPA is considered one of UNPAN’s active contributors in the Asia-Pacific Region, with the role of providing up-to-date information and databases on the development of public administration in the region.
The structure of EROPA consists of the General Assembly, Executive Council, and Secretariat. In addition, to promote good practices in public administration and public management, EROPA also coordinates specialized technical centers, namely the Development Management Center, the Training Center, and the Local Government Center. These centers enjoy high autonomy in their internal operations. The heads of these centers may initiate the necessary steps towards strengthening their respective centers, including mobilizing funding from organizations and individuals.
- Participation of the Viet Nam’s National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) in EROPA
As a national center performing the functions of training and upgrading competencies, knowledge and skills in administration, leadership and management for cadres, civil servants, and public employees; human resource training; research on administrative sciences; giving advice and consultancy to the Ministry of Home Affairs on public administration and state management, NAPA has become a state member of EROPA since 1991[1]. Over the past 30 years, NAPA has actively participated and affirmed its professional capacity and reputation in EROPA’s activities. Every year, NAPA sends delegations of leaders and faculty members to participate and present papers at the annual EROPA Conference. In particular, NAPA has successfully hosted the EROPA Conference three times in 1997, 2005 and 2014. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, NAPA President, is currently the Vice Chair of the EROPA Executive Council.
In accordance with EROPA’s request and with the approval of the Prime Minister, as stated in the Official Dispatch No. 7202/VPCP-QHQT dated September 19, 2023, of the Government Office, in 2023, NAPA is once again honored to host the annual EROPA Conference with the theme “The Role of Public Governance in Socio-Economic Recovery and Development Towards the Sustainable Development Goals” on 16 – 20 October 2023.
EROPA’s request for NAPA of Vietnam to host the 2023 EROPA Conference underscores the international and regional community’s high regard for the positive role of Vietnam in general and for the Ministry of Home Affairs and NAPA in particular in the international community of public administration organizations, scientists, and practitioners. Hosting the 2023 EROPA Conference reflects the responsibilities and obligations of NAPA as a State-level member of EROPA.
Additionally, the hosting of the EROPA 2023 Conference by NAPA, under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Home Affairs, also creates a basis for the effective implementation of the Party’s foreign policy, as outlined in Directive No. 25 dated August 8, 2018, on promoting and elevating multilateral diplomacy to 2030. This Directive specifies the need to “proactively participate and promote the role in multilateral mechanisms, especially ASEAN and the United Nations”. This is also an opportunity for the Ministry of Home Affairs and NAPA to further integrate into international public administration forums, thereby promoting and raising the level of multilateral foreign relations of the Ministry of Home Affairs, contributing to the implementation of the “Plan to promote and upgrade multilateral foreign relations by 2030” issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs in Decision No. 455/QD-BNV dated September 23, 2021. In this plan, the first task of the Action Program on hosting international conferences and running for important positions in international organizations and forums, clearly defines the requirements of assigning NAPA to host the annual EROPA Conference in 2023.
In addition, the hosting of the EROPA 2023 Conference by NAPA, under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Home Affairs, is also an opportunity for both the Ministry of Home Affairs and NAPA to introduce to the international community the achievements of Vietnam’s innovation and administrative reform, public service reform, and national governance innovation. It serves to internationally promote the image of Vietnam (including its ongoing robust transformation in the public service sector), strengthen sustainable international partnerships with various international partners, and create a forum for scholars and practitioners to share and exchange experiences in public administration and governance and capacity development for officials and civil servants.
- Content and program of the 2023 EROPA Conference in Vietnam
The EROPA 2023 Conference is scheduled to take place from 16 – 20 October 2023 at the National Convention Center in Hanoi.
The Conference will be conducted in the form of opening and closing plenary sessions, as well as various parallel sessions. The opening and closing plenary sessions will feature the participation and opening remarks of the Minister of Home Affairs, along with representatives from relevant ministries and sectors. The opening and closing plenary sessions will also be attended by representatives of the diplomatic agencies of the 9 EROPA State members, as well as approximately 300 international delegates and 200 Vietnamese delegates who are scholars, managers, and leaders of Vietnamese ministries and sectors, and faculty members from NAPA. In addition to the plenary sessions, the Conference will include 170 papers presented by scholars and practitioners from various countries within and outside the region.
The main theme of the 2023 EROPA Conference in Vietnam is “The Role of Public Governance in Socio-Economic Recovery and Development Towards the Sustainable Development Goals”. The selection of this theme is made in the context where good public governance is the key to the success of a country. The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the strengths and weaknesses of the nation’s institutions, legislation, and leadership. It has likewise emphasized the interplay between governance capacity and crisis management capabilities as well as the sustainable development and prosperity of the country. Good public governance improves public trust in Government, which makes the Government productive and effective.
As most countries shift to a post-pandemic environment, countries need to immediately overcome difficulties and develop and implement strategies and programs for rapid and sustainable socio-economic recovery and development to continue to develop and keep pace with the global economic recovery. Successful design and implementation of strategies and programs for socio-economic recovery and development depend to a large extent on the public governance capacity of a country. This reality shows the need for further research on the role of ‘public governance’ in socio-economic recovery and development to build effective governance models suitable for the region and its respective countries. In addition, through the Conference, EROPA member organizations can establish cooperation plans to enhance the governance capacity of public leaders and managers to meet the requirements of economic and social recovery.
The sub-themes of the Conference are the following:
Sub-theme 1: Socio-Economic Recovery and Development: Issues Raised and the Need for Renewal of Public Governance. This sub-theme focuses on the following areas: Socio-economic recovery and development of countries: opportunities, challenges, and issues for public governance; Implications of public governance and factors affecting public governance; The relationship between public governance and socio-economic recovery and development; The need for renewal of public governance to promote socio-economic recovery and development; The role of the state in promoting public governance for socio-economic recovery and development; Development trends of public governance in the world and the region. Also, this sub-theme provides an opportunity for scholars and practitioners in the region to share the experiences of countries in the renewal of public governance for socio-economic recovery and development and public governance for sustainable development goals.
Sub-theme 2: Renewal of Public Governance to Promote Socio-Economic Recovery and Development.
This sub-theme addresses the need for a renewal of governance mindsets in the face of challenges posed to traditional management models and mindsets. This sub-theme focuses on the following areas: Building the rule of law for public governance; Renewal of the organization and operation of the Government, ministries, and ministerial-level agencies for good public governance; Renewal of the organization and operation of local government for good public governance; Decentralization from the central to local governments and coordination between central and local governments for good public governance; Openness, transparency, and accountability for good public governance; Public participation for good public governance; Building partnerships for good governance; Control corruption for good public governance; Innovation in public service provision for good public governance; Applying technology and digital transformation to promote good public governance.
Sub-theme 3: Building Public Governance Capacity to Promote Socio-Economic Recovery and Development. This sub-theme emphasizes the multi-actor, multi-centred and multi-level nature of public governance, with the involvement of many different actors who should be knowledgeable and skilled to make their efforts meaningful and effective. Therefore, it is important to build the public governance capacity of involved actors, especially public servants as the key actors, in promoting socio-economic recovery and development. This sub-theme focuses on the following areas: Socio-economic recovery and development: opportunities, challenges and the need for improving public governance capacity of public leaders and managers; Human resource development and management in public governance to promote socio-economic recovery and development; Development of leadership and management capacity to promote good public governance; Renewal of the training to improve the quality of civil servants in public governance to promote socio-economic recovery and development; Improve public governance capacity to meet the requirements of socio-economic recovery and development & sustainable development; International cooperation in building public governance capacity to meet the requirements of socio-economic recovery and development & sustainable development.
In particular, as the host country, NAPA will chair a plenary session with the topic “Renewal of Local Governance Towards the Sustainable Development Goals: International Experience and Implications for Vietnam”. Through this session, international and Vietnamese experts will share experiences, exchange, analyze and make policy recommendations for Vietnam regarding the renewal of public governance in general and the renewal of local governance in particular.
EROPA is a regional organization for public administration with a well-organized structure and dynamic and professional operations. After more than 60 years of development, EROPA has remained committed to the goal of promoting the development of public administration and public governance in the Asia-Pacific region, paving the way for major changes towards the future. The goal is to enhance public administration and governance capacity in the region. This holds particular significance in the context of globalization, multi-polarization, and peaceful development, which are notably prominent in the Asia-Pacific region, making it the most dynamic and potential area in the world. The 2023 EROPA Conference hosted by NAPA of Vietnam with the theme “The Role of Public Governance in Socio-Economic Recovery and Development Towards the Sustainable Development Goals”, along with the sub-themes, “reaffirms the spirit of close cooperation and unity among public administrators, organizations, and individuals within the EROPA network […] towards the sustainable development goals of each country and the entire region[2].
Pham Thi Quynh Hoa
National Academy of Public Administration
[1] Official Dispatch No. 4143/KG dated November 25, 1991, on joining EROPA of the Office of the Council of Ministers signed by Mr. Vu Huy Tu, Vice Chairperson of the Office of the Council of Ministers.
[2] Excerpted from the Welcome Message of the EROPA 2023 Conference by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, President of the National Academy of Public Administration
