After four working days, the 2023 EROPA Conference concluded at the National Convention Center, Ha Noi, on 19 October 2023.
In the afternoon, General Assembly II was held. Delegates in attendance included Dr. Alex Brillantes Jr., Secretary-General of EROPA; H.E. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trieu Van Cuong, Vice Minister of Home Affairs, Viet Nam; President and Vice President of the 29th General Assembly; EROPA Secretariat; Heads of EROPA State members delegations (China, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Viet Nam); members of the 2023 EROPA Conference Organizing Committee; Representatives of leaders of a number of Vietnamese agencies, departments, and branches and delegates.
Dr. Vincent Wong, Chair of the EROPA Resolutions Committee reporting at the General Assembly II.
At the General Assembly II, Dr. Vincent Wong, Chair of the EROPA Resolutions Committee, presented and adopted the report of the Resolutions Committee with the following contents:
(1) The General Assembly expresses its deep respect, appreciation and profound gratitude to the Government and the people of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam for their continuing support and assistance and provision of platforms contributing to the success of the EROPA 29th General Assembly and the 68th EROPA Conference and Executive Council Meeting.
(2) The General Council expresses its deep respect, appreciation, and gratitude to: H.E. Ms. Pham Thi Thanh Tra, Minister of Home Affairs of Viet Nam and leaders of the Ministry of Home Affairs for their valuable contributions to the hosting of the EROPA 29th General Assembly and the 68th Conference; the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), headed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, for leading and organizing the 68th EROPA Conference and the 29th General Assembly with the EROPA Secretariat; officials and staff of the Department of International Cooperation, NAPA; officials and staff of the National College of Public Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines Diliman, led by Dr. Kristoffer Berse, Dean and Deputy Secretary General of EROPA, for the support extended to EROPA throughout the years.
(3) The General Assembly expresses its deep respect, appreciation, and gratitude to the following esteemed guests and speakers: Hon. Atty. Benjamin Abalos Jr., Minister of the Interior and Local Government, Republic of the Philippines; Dr. Alikhan Baimenov, Chairman, Astana Civil Service Hub, Republic of Kazakhstan; YBhg. Datuk Dr. Anesee Ibrahim, Deputy Director General of the Public Service Department, Malaysia; Dr. Agus Pramusinto, Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, Republic of Indonesia; Dr. Amporn Tamronglak, President of the Public Administration Association of Thailand and President of the Asia-Pacific Society for Public Affairs; Mr. Kenneth Sim, Dean of Chandler Academy of Governance, Singapore; Dr. Geiguen Shin, Director of General Affairs, Korean Association for Public Administration; Dr. Prabhat Datta, Adjunct Professor of Political Science and Public Administration, Xavier Law School, St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata, India; Dr. Woothisarn Tanchai, President of the University Council of the Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University, Thailand; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eduardo Araral, Jr., National University of Singapore; Ms. Amor Maclang, Convenor, Digital Pilipinas; Hon. Dakila Carlo Cua, Governor of Quirino Province, Philippines, and President of Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines; Prof.Dr. Masao Kikuchi, Meiji University, Japan; Mr. Ha Minh Hai, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ha Noi City, Vietnam; Mr. Phan Trung Tuan, General Director of the Department of Local Government, Ministry of Home Affairs, Viet Nam; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kristoffer Berse, EROPA Deputy Secretary General, Dean, National College of Public Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines Diliman; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Minh Khuong, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quoc Suu, NAPA Vice President, Viet Nam; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Hong Hai, Dean of the Faculty of Administrative Sciences, NAPA, Viet Nam; for sharing their wisdom and expertise on the topics they have been invited to discuss.
(4) The General Assembly expresses its thanks and appreciation to the EROPA Centers for conducting programs, activities, events, training, and publications to promote quality public service and administration.
(5) The General Assembly expresses its deep appreciation and gratitude to the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal through the Ministry of Federal Affairs and the General Administration for graciously and successfully hosting the 67th Executive Council and Conference with the theme “Governance and Public Administration in COVID-19 Pandemic: Learning, Innovations, and Reforms in Managing Global Changes” held virtually from 13 to 15 September 2023.
(6) The General Assembly expresses its deep gratitude and appreciation to Ms. Marie Rosenberg for her generous financial contribution to EROPA. In honor of the generosity that longtime EROPA member Ms. Marie Rosenberg has contributed to the women of public administration, the General Assembly authorizes the establishment of the “Marie Rosenberg Award”. The first will be presented at the 69th EROPA Conference in 2024.
(7) The General Assembly confirms the election of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, President of the National Academy of Public Administration, Vietnam, as Chair and Ms. Xu Wei, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Personnel Science, China, as 1st Vice-Chair of the EROPA Executive Council from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025.
(8) The General Assembly confirms the election of Dr. Adi Suryanto, Chairman of the National Institute for Public Administration, as President; and YBhg. Datuk Dr. Anesee Ibrahim, Deputy Director General of the Malaysian Public Service Department, as 1st Vice President of the 29th EROPA General Assembly.
(9) The General Assembly confirms the re-appointment of Dr. Alex Brillantes Jr. as Secretary-General from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025.
(10) The General Assembly confirms the re-appointment of Atty. Lito Martin, Director of the International Audit and Relations Office of the Philippines’ Commission on Audit, as EROPA Auditor from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025.
(11) The General Assembly confirms the election of the following officers and members of the Executive Council (Governing Board) of EROPA: representatives of group members of the Hong Kong Public Administration Association and Japan Council of Local Authorities for International Relations; representatives of the individual members including Dr. Akio Kamiko (Japan), Dr. Vincent Wong (Hong Kong – SAR), and Dr. Narendra Paudel (Nepal).
(12) The General Assembly confirms the re-appointment of Prof. Dr. Masao Kikuchi, Meiji University, Japan, as Chair of the Future Plans and Programs Committee from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025.
(13) The General Assembly confirms the re-appointment of Dr. Vincent Wong, of the Hong Kong Public Administration Association, as Chair of the Resolutions Committee from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025.
(14) The General Assembly adopts the reports of the Secretary-General, the EROPA Development Management Center, the EROPA Local Government Center, the EROPA Human Resource Research Center, the Policy Studies Center, and the Commissioner of Audit presented to the 68th Executive Council Meeting.
(15) The General Assembly adopts the biennial budget proposed by the Secretary-General for the Fiscal Years 2023 – 2024 and 2025 – 2026.
(16) The General Assembly approves the state membership application of 56 regular individuals and two associate individual membership, as recommended by the EROPA Executive Council.
(17) The General Assembly approves the special resolution that gives the Secretary-General the authority to approve the individual and group member applications until the next Executive Council meeting (subject to report to the EC meeting).
(18) The General Assembly approves to have a provision in the Rule for Implementation of the EROPA Constitution that the members can virtually participate or attend over the Internet or through other methods from remote locations. It also needs a provision that the Chairperson, in consultation with the Vice-Chairpersons and the Secretary-General, shall call for an Executive Council.
(19) The General Assembly approves to have sub-article 9 from Article 48 of the Constitution to be reiterated and added to Rule IV, Section 2 of the Rule for Implementation of the EROPA Constitution.
(20) The General Assembly approves that in Rule VII, Section 1 of the EROPA Rules for Implementation, the sentence should be amended to: “Unless otherwise decided by the General Assembly, upon recommendation of the Executive Council, the annual rate of minimum subscription for the State, Group and Individual members shall be as follows (financial transaction fee/bank surcharges not yet included)…”
(21) The General Assembly approves the proposal for the Executive Council to have a special resolution to waive the membership arrears, if necessary. For individual membership issues, the Secretary-General has full discretion to determine whether to exclude from the roster.
(22) The General Assembly approves the appointment of Dr. Kristoffer Berse, Dean of UP NCPAG and EROPA Deputy Secretary General for Publications and Research, as Editor-in-Chief of the Asian Review of Public Administration.
(23) The General Assembly approves the proposal that in order for Iran and India to reinstate their active state member status, there needs to have special resolutions with the following criteria: (1) commitment of the member; (2) impact to EROPA for the resolution; (3) duration of arrears; (4) previous application records in applying for waivers; (5) conduct of the organization; (6) visibility of the organization in EROPA; and (7) any relevant criteria that the SG deems appropriate, there needs to be special resolutions to waiver previous membership fee, and this would be a strong message from the EROPA to reinstate them as active state members.
(24) The General Assembly approves to conduct a feasibility study and marketing research among group and individual members (MPA School, and others) for short-term intern programs and visiting researcher programs to give them the opportunities to work in the international organization for their future career advancement. No allowances/salary will be provided, but the EROPA Secretariat may give other benefits.
Dr. Kristoffer Berse, EROPA Deputy Secretary General, presenting the report of the Conference Rapporteur.
After the General Assembly II, the 2023 EROPA Conference moved to the Conference Summary and Conclusion. Dr. Kristoffer Berse, EROPA Deputy Secretary-General, delivered the report of the Conference Rapporteur.
Conference Plenary I emphasized the sustainable development goals (SDGs); the importance of good governance; bureaucratic reform as a means to address SDGs; collaboration and partnership between various sectors are highlighted as essential for achieving SDGs; the importance of innovation and the need for contextual solutions tailored to specific challenges.
Conference Plenary II focused on discussing the importance of making SDGs as a central focus for nations and their programs; emphasis on ethical leadership, improving government organizations and systems, and regaining trust in government; the crucial role of public administration scholars and practitioners; innovation and collaboration among governments, businesses, academia and stakeholders, as well as proposing innovative solutions to address challenges and work towards SDG-related goals.
Conference Plenary III focused on the need to adapt to a Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity (VUCA) world, especially in the context of global issues and the impact of events like COVID-19; the importance of enhancing public governance capacity to address global and emerging issues and the need for governments to be capacitated to address traditional and new-generation issues; key principles for government success, such as meritocracy, pragmatism, and honesty; the necessity of nurturing and retaining the best public servants through training, appraisal processes, and performance-based promotions; the role of technology, new media, data utilization, and innovation in transforming government, improving public services, and fostering a data-driven decision-making environment.
Conference Plenary IV discussed the impact of state capacity on good governance at the local level and the potential benefits of amalgamation and decentralization; the importance of scientific development and data-driven decision-making in governance and development; emphasis on harmonizing civil service standards for quality public service; the significant role of local governments in national security and governance; the role of technological developments, including digital transformation, effective governance, and building public trust in government.
Dr. Alex Brillantes Jr., EROPA Secretary-General, announcing the awards.
At the Conference, Dr. Alex Brillantes Jr., Secretary-General of EROPA, announced the Carlos P. Ramos Award for Best Conference Paper. The Conference received more than 200 papers, including 19 thematic articles. The Carlos P. Ramos Award for Best Conference Paper was awarded to 3 groups of authors: (1) Dr. Putri Noorafedah Megat Tajudin of the Public Service Department, Malaysia; (2) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quoc Suu, NAPA Vice President and Dr. Tran Long, Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs, USA; (3) Dr. Pham Ngoc Ha, National Academy of Public Administration.
The Marie Rosenberg Award for Best Conference Paper (for female authors) was awarded to Ms. Reiou Regie Manuel, University of the Philippines Diliman, City Government of Caloocan.
Dr. Alex Brillantes Jr., Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trieu Van Cuong, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, Dr. Achakorn Wongpreedee, and Dr. Xu Wei awarding prizes to the authors with the best papers at the Conference.
Speaking at the Closing Ceremony of the 2023 EROPA Conference, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien emphasized that the 2023 EROPA Conference had taken place with mutual understanding and a spirit of close cooperation, a unified will, and a determination to realize the values of public governance towards sustainable development goals. Delegates from many countries, with different levels of socio-economic development and public service systems characterized by political history and national cultural values, all shared a common belief in public governance as the key to each nation’s success. The Conference shared experiences and defined strategies for building public governance capacity towards sustainable development goals. There was a unanimous agreement to strengthen cooperation and promote EROPA’s role in the implementation of sustainable development goals at the national, regional, and global levels.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, delivering his Closing remarks.
For the National Academy of Public Administration, this is a special event, a great opportunity for the Academy to exchange and learn from colleagues who are scholars and practitioners with a common interest in public administration, public governance, and state management.
On behalf of the EROPA Executive Council and the Conference Organizing Committee, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien expressed gratitude to the Government, the Government Office, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security, and the People’s Committee of Ha Noi City for their strong, practical, and responsible support, which led to the successful completion of the Conference. He also appreciated the enthusiasm and responsible support of the EROPA Secretariat and EROPA Secretary-General Dr. Alex Brillantes Jr. during the preparation and organization of the Conference. He thanked the plenary speakers, state member delegations, groups and individuals, international experts, and representatives of Vietnamese ministries, agencies, and delegates who actively participated and made important contributions to the success of the Conference. He also expressed gratitude to the members of the Conference Steering Committee and the Organizing Committee for their dedicated efforts to ensure the success of the Conference.
H.E. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trieu Van Cuong, Vice Minister of Home Affairs, delivering his closing remarks at the Conference.
In his closing speech at the 2023 EROPA Conference, H.E. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trieu Van Cuong, Vice Minister of Home Affairs, emphasized that the 2023 EROPA Conference took place during a period when the world was facing numerous challenges related to sustainable development. Therefore, the focus on the role of public governance in socio-economic recovery and development became the main theme of the EROPA Conference, demonstrating the role and responsibility of EROPA in addressing regional and global issues. Over the four days of the Conference, the program’s content was successfully completed. The Conference attracted the participation of 150 international scholars from various countries. The speakers discussed different issues, but all revolved around the theme of the 2023 EROPA Conference, “The Role of Public Governance in Socio-Economic Recovery and Development Towards the Sustainable Development Goals”.
First, the Conference presentations analyzed and clarified the critical role of public governance in achieving sustainable development; clarified the necessity for breakthrough policies to serve as a basis for economic recovery and development goals; raised the issue of strengthening cooperation between countries and regions to jointly address global problems.
Second, the Conference analyzed and clarified practical issues in public governance to promote socio-economic recovery and development that are specific to each country. It addressed public governance with the role of the state and the participation of various actors, especially from the private sector.
Third, the Conference analyzed, evaluated, and proposed solutions to build public governance capacity that contributes to the promotion of socio-economic recovery and development; proposed many different solutions, with a particular emphasis on the need to enhance the quality of the public governance human resources.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trieu Van Cuong expressed his sincere appreciation to Dr. Alex Brillantes Jr., EROPA Secretary-General, international delegates, scholars, and speakers who attended the 2023 EROPA Conference in Viet Nam. He thanked the relevant Vietnamese authorities and highlighted the vital role of the National Academy of Public Administration in close coordination with EROPA and its partners to ensure the preparation of the Conference. He also expressed his gratitude to the media for their timely and comprehensive coverage of the EROPA Conference, reaching both domestic readers and the international community. With these collective achievements, Vice Minister Trieu Van Cuong declared the closure of the 2023 EROPA Conference.
Some photos at the Closing Ceremony of the 2023 EROPA Conference:
