By Lee Jin-woo
Staff Reporter

President Roh Moo-hyun Monday pledged to enhance the competitiveness of the Korean government through decentralization and deregulation in his opening address to the Sixth Global Forum on Reinventing Government.

``The goal Korea pursues in initiating innovation in government is to create a government that is efficient, a government that serves, a government that is transparent, a government that respects its citizens, and a government that is decentralized,’’ Roh said.

``In this way, it is our goal to make the government perform well, matching the competitiveness of the world’s 10th largest economy.’’

Roh made the remarks to around 5,000 delegates from over 141 countries at COEX, southern Seoul, who are taking part in the four-day forum to discuss challenges and strategies for improving governance and public administration.

The meeting was co-organized by the Korean government and the United Nations. Brazilian President Lula Da Silva and United Nations Under-Secretary-General Jose Antonio Ocampo, pressed a button to open a giant gate on the stage during the opening ceremony.

The forum is the first U.N.-sponsored international gathering on government reinvention in the Asia-Pacific region.

Roh said Korea will positively join forces in the international commitment to reinventing government.

The OECD Asian Center for Public Governance will open in Seoul next month and Korea will give special attention to the establishment of an international agency to extend support for the development of governance in every country.

The Brazilian president stressed the governance roles of the government, enterprises and civic groups in Brazil and other developing countries.

``We live in a highly asymmetrical world. A world threatened by weapons of mass destruction, by terrorism, but above all by deep economic and social inequalities that fuel fundamental hate and passions,’’ Lula said.

Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov spoke about his government’s efforts to engage in overall social reform and its importance for the development of his country.

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said that the government should be a facilitator, or rather a supervisor, that encourages dynamism of the private sector.

Held under the theme ``Toward Participatory and Transparent Governance,’’ top-level participants will hold in-depth discussions at five plenary sessions over the first two days, followed by nine lower-level workshop sessions for more detailed talks on ideas presented at the plenary sessions.

The forum will also include a Korea session where South Korean officials plan to present the host country’s experiences and efforts toward government reform.

Side events include the Ministerial Round Table on Innovation, the Governors and Mayors Round Table and the ASEAN+3 Ministerial Round Table.

The International Innovation Exhibition, or InnoEx 2005, will be held in Atlantic Hall at COEX during the period, featuring successful innovation cases and systems presented by 115 public institutions from 23 countries worldwide.

things@koreatimes.co.kr