We speak of governance quality when decisions are made while respecting the “good governance” principles developed through time by a variety of peoples, nations and UN agencies. A simple and compact formulation of the “IUCN principles of good governance for protected areas” includes:
Legitimacy and voice — i.e. enjoying broad acceptance and appreciation in society; ensuring procedural rights of access to information, participation and justice; fostering engagement and diversity; preventing discrimination; fostering subsidiarity, mutual respect, dialogue, consensus and agreed rules.
Direction — i.e. following an inspiring and consistent strategic vision grounded on agreed values and an appreciation of complexities; ensuring consistency with policy and practice at various levels; ensuring clear answers to contentious questions; ensuring proper adaptive management and favouring the emergence of champions and tested innovations.
Performance — i.e. achieving conservation and other objectives as planned; promoting a culture of learning; engaging in advocacy and outreach; being responsive to the needs of rightsholders and stakeholders; ensuring resources and capacities and their efficient use; promoting sustainability and resilience.
Accountability — i.e. upholding integrity and commitment; ensuring appropriate access to information and transparency, including for lines of responsibility, allocation of resources, and evaluation of performances; establishing communication avenues and encouraging feed-back and independent overseeing.
Fairness and rights — i.e. striving towards equitably shared costs and benefits, without adverse impact for vulnerable people; upholding decency and the dignity of all; being fair, impartial, consistent, non discriminatory, respectful of procedural rights as well as substantive rights, individual and collective human rights, gender equity and the rights of Indigenous Peoples, including Free, Prior and Informed Consent; promoting local empowerment in conservation.
As with governance diversity, governance quality is primarily understood and reported through governance assessments (see Assessment Tools). An inventory of PAGE assessments in the African, Caribbean and Pacific regions is available here on the PAGE Module (see Assessments).
For more information, please consult the following IUCN publications:
