A launching ceremony for the UNDP project - ENGAGE was led by the Director-General of the Department of Local Administration Mr. Somporn Chaibangyang in the Conference Hall of Ko kha Municipality, Lampang Province |
UNDP and Thailand Department of Local Administration
Launch Project to Promote Transparency and Good Governance
12th September 2008 - A launching ceremony was held for a UNDP project aimed at enhancing democratic governance and accountability through the active engagement of the local communities of Chiang Mai and Lampang Provinces. The event, chaired by Director General of the Department of Local Administration Mr. Somporn Chaibangyang, and attended by both central and local government officials, community leaders and UNDP representatives, was held in the Conference Hall of Kokah Municipality.
The project is launched in the framework of a joint initiative of the Royal Thai Government and UNDP, aimed at supporting the Royal Thai Government’s decentralization policy by promoting democratic governance and strengthening local government capacity; establishing anti-corruption measures and standards of practice for local administrations; and promoting the right to information and enhancing public participation in local governance, particularly for marginalised groups including women, the poor and the vulnerable.
As a first step, the project has selected five sites in two provinces − Lampang and Chiang Mai − in which to develop and test indicators that would help the local governments and communities to monitor transparency and accountability in the day-to-day management of their local administration. These indicators are being jointly developed by local government officials and community members such as representatives of the agricultural community, women’s groups, health workers and teachers.
The five local government organisations participating in this project are: Don Kaew Tambon Administration (Chiang Mai); Muang Kaen Patana Municipality (Chiang Mai); Provincial Administration of Lampang; Ko Kah Municipality (Lampang); and Thapha Tambon Administration (Lampang). Each of these local governments have signed an agreement among themselves to work together to achieve transparency, accountability and good governance.
The ceremony in Lampang province marks the beginning of a long-term engagement by all the project stakeholders to work towards effective local governance that meets the real needs and demands of the population it serves.
 "Good governance and democracy go hand-in-hand with human development, which is the basis of UNDP’s work all over the world’” said Yuxue Xue, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Thailand. “While Thailand has made impressive achievements in terms of its development over the past decades, disparities exist between the urban and rural communities in terms of progress and prosperity. We fully support the Royal Thai Government’s effort to redress this situation through its decentralization policy and strengthening of local governance. We are proud to be associated with this endeavour which we hope will bring marked improvements to the lives of local communities”. |
The project is funded by UNDP to the amount of $300,000, and is due to run over a period of 12 months.
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For more information, please contact:
Dominique Larsimont: dominique.larsimont@undp.org , 02 288 1814
Punnipa Ruangtorsak : punnipa.ruangtorsak@undp.org, 02 288 2130
