UNDP Chief Helen Clark launches Global Centre for Public Service Excellence with Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Transport Lui Tuck Yew. Photo: UNDP
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Singapore government have agreed to set up a global centre to help developing countries strengthen their public services. The Global Centre for Public Service Excellence will be based in Singapore by the end of 2012.
UNDP administrator Helen Clark said the new centre would be a leading research hub, drawing information from think-tanks, universities and on-going policy practice in Singapore and other countries.
The initiative was announced at the World Cities Summit in Singapore on 2 July.
The provision of clean water and sanitation in developing countries were mentioned as two critical focus areas.
Helen Clark said:
“Unfortunately sanitation has had a very low priority in so many places and it’s appalling to think that a significant proportion of human kind still faces open defecation and no access to a proper toilet at all.
“Singapore has so much to share of its own experience since independence of strong non-corrupt effective governance and so we are partnering to put in place here a centre which will be able to do research on this, bring people together, have convening power and really promote best practice in governance.”
Related organisations and programmes:
- IRC – Water Services that Last
- Municipal Service Project (MSP)
- Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU)
- Public Utility Research Center (PURC) at the University of Florida
Source: Wayne Chan, Channel News Asia, 02 Jul 2012 ; UNDP, 02 Jul 2012
Sanitation Updates 