Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, President of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) of Viet Nam and Chairperson of the EROPA Executive Council, delivering the opening remarks.
Distinguished Professor Ova Emilia, Rector of Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia,
Esteemed Professor Agus Pramusinto, President of the Asian Association for Public Administration (AAPA) and the Indonesian Association for Public Administration (IAPA),
Honorable Professor Eko Prasojo, Chair of the Asian Group for Public Administration (AGPA),
Respected Professor Alex Brillantes Jr., Secretary-General of the Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA),
Honorable delegates, managers, and public administration experts,
On behalf of the Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA), I extend my warmest welcome to all participants attending this international conference themed, “Towards World Class Bureaucracy” jointly organized by EROPA, AAPA, AGPA, and IAPA. The 2024 EROPA-AAPA-AGPA-IAPA Joint Conference exemplifies the spirit of close cooperation and unity of will among the organizations which serve as bridges for knowledge sharing and creation and catalysts for reform and innovation in public management across Asia and the Asia-Pacific region. Together, we work toward development of administrative sciences, build high-quality bureaucracy in each country, and contribute to peace, stability, prosperity and sustainable development within the region and around the world.
Dear Esteemed Delegates,
Building world-class bureaucracy is not merely an idealistic goal; it is a practical necessity, a strategy to achieve a professional, modern public service in each member country, which, in turn, enhances quality of life of the people and promotes sustainable socio-economic development.
At this conference, with the expertise and dedication of the participants coming from Asian and Asia-Pacific countries, we will exchange experience, discuss, and seek effective approaches and strategies to make bureaucracy more productive. We will focus on eight sub-themes selected and agreed upon by EROPA, AAPA, AGPA, and IAPA members which are in the conference agenda, as follows:
First, Digital Transformation and Bureaucracy: Technology is not only a tool but a powerful driver for transformation and enhancement of effectiveness and transparency of the bureaucracy. How to utilize digital transformation to improve public services and ease the interactions of citizens and businesses with the government? This is a critical question for discussions in the conference.
Second, Data-driven Policy Making: Data-driven policy making is becoming an important trend and brings new opportunities to improve the effectiveness and soundness of decisions. Data is not merely information; it provides insights that guide decisions and policies and needs to be leveraged to enhance the quality and feasibility of political decisions and policies. This is another key focus of our conference.
Third, Bureaucratic Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Street-level Bureaucracy: Promoting creative thinking and actively improving processes, services, and products, along with the application of new technologies to boost productivity, efficiency, and responsiveness in public organizations. This subtheme also highlights the role of street-level public servants in policy implementation and decision-making, enhancing flexibility, innovation, and responsiveness in public service delivery.
Fourth, Leadership in VUCA bureaucracy: It is a critical topic for discussion on the enhancement of bureaucracy. Leadership is essential in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world, where challenges are unprecedented. Leaders are crucial sources of inspiration, fostering creativity and building trust to adapt to changes, overcome challenges, and ensure sustainable development.
Fifth, Post-Pandemic Bureaucracy: COVID-19 has taught us valuable lessons about agility and adaptability of the bureaucracy. We must think deeper about post-pandemic bureaucracy to develop systems and policies that can predict, respond to, and recover from future crises.
Sixth, Social Inclusion and Social Equity: Social equity must be a central factor in building world class bureaucracy. A world class bureaucracy not only creates a fair environment but also reinforce citizens’ trust in government, thus improving the effectiveness and quality of the public services.
Seventh, Public Values: Discussions in the conference will cover core public values such as ethics, transparency, and accountability. These values are fundamental for fostering public trust and form the foundation of sustainable bureaucracy.
Finally, Risk and Crisis Management: Risk and crisis management is critical in building community resilience. The conference will discuss effective strategies for managing risks and crises, including disaster management, environmental protection, and ensuring security for all.
We look forward to profound discussions, creative solutions, and new connections throughout this conference. We strongly believe that the spirit of cooperation and unity of will provides a solid foundation for EROPA, AAPA, AGPA, and IAPA’s practical, collective actions and solutions to regional and national challenges. This holds particular significance in the context of globalization and multi-polarization, peaceful development, which is especially evident in Asia and the Asia-Pacific region. In the current context, full of intertwined opportunities and challenges, world-class bureaucracy is the key to ensuring peace, stability, prosperity, and sustainable development in the region.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all delegates for attending this important event. We hope that each of you will return from this conference with new knowledge, ideas, and inspiration, contributing to the building of “world-class bureaucracy” in your respective countries.
Our heartfelt thanks go to the host country, Indonesia, the Indonesian Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform, Universitas Gadjah Mada, the Indonesian Association for Public Administration (IAPA), the National Institute of Public Administration Indonesia (NIPA), the Conference Organizing Committee, the EROPA Secretariat, and our colleagues from AAPA, AGPA, and IAPA for their tremendous efforts in preparing and organizing this meaningful event.
Wishing the 2024 EROPA-AAPA-AGPA-IAPA Joint Conference a great success.
Thank you very much.
Assoc.Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien,
President, National Academy of Public Administration, Viet Nam
Chairperson of the 69th EROPA Executive Council
