Seminar on Best Practices for Better Governance

Carlos Loret de Mola, Vice Minister of Territorial Governance of Peru; and Gail Cockburn, Director of Global Affairs Canada’s Development Program in Peru and Bolivia.

The ARI (Andean Regional Initiative) Project concluded its activities by holding the “Seminar on Best Practices for Better Governance” on December 12 and 13, 2017 at the Hotel Los Delfines in Lima, Peru.

Seminar participants included representatives from civil society, NGOs, International Cooperation, the Embassy of Canada, and local, municipal and regional government. In addition, community leaders who work with the ARI Project and other projects financed by the Embassy of Canada were invited to share their knowledge and to take what they learned during the seminar back to their communities.

The seminar began with remarks from Gail Cockburn, Director of Global Affairs Canada’s Development Program in Peru and Bolivia. Joining her in providing welcoming remarks was Mary Beshai, Senior Advisor – Strategic Partnerships at WUSC (World University Service of Canada) and Michel Tapiero, Director of the ARI Project and WUSC Peru. During the opening keynote, it was an honour to welcome Carlos Loret de Mola, Vice Minister of Territorial Governance of Peru.

Carlos Loret de Mola, Vice Minister of Territorial Governance of Peru; Gail Cockburn, Director of Global Affairs Canada’s Development Program in Peru and Bolivia; Michel Tapiero, Director of the ARI Project and WUSC Peru; Mary Beshai, Senior Advisor – Strategic Partnerships, WUSC

The 2-day seminar was divided into two topics on each day. The first topic covered was “Contribution of Women to Inclusive Governance”, where the experiences of the ARI Project and the Progobernabilidad Project were presented. Panelists featured Mary Rosales of the National Assembly of Regional Governments, and Gabriela Carrasco, Director of Public Investment from the Peruvian Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF).

The second topic covered on day one of the seminar was “Issues and Challenges posed by the Decentralization Process,” which involved a presentation by Edgardo Cruzado, Secretary of Decentralization of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM). Presentations were also given by the Project Director of ABGM (Apurímac – Good Municipal Governance) and the President of the Apurímac Leaders Network. A panel of speakers included Mónica Callirgo, Head of the Decentralization and Good Governance Program from the Ombudsman’s Office, and Gerardo Tavara, Secretary General of Transparency.

Rosa Chiappe, Country Director and Country Coordinator, Uniterra Program – WUSC Peru

Day two began with the third topic, “Including Gender Equality in Financing Mechanisms between the Public and Private Sectors for Better Governance”. Representatives of the municipalities that had worked with the ARI Project presented on their experiences in Municipal Technical Assistance for Public Works Tax Deduction (OXI). Juan Pablo Miranda, from the Directorate General for the Promotion of Private Investment at the MEF, presented the topic of OXI, and Lucy Henderson, representative of Proinversión discussed the topic of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), reflecting on the gender approach. Panelists for the session were Pedro Arizmendi, representative of Ernst & Young, and Karen Suarez of the ARI Project.

For the final topic, “Innovation in Local Governance”, the Uniterra Program presented its experience by reporting on the work done by its volunteers in the regions where the program is developed in Peru. Caroline Gibu, Executive Director of Ciudadanos al Día, presented on innovations to improve relations between the State and civil society. The FCM CISAL Program (Federation of Canadian Municipalities – Sustainable and Inclusive Communities in Latin America) also presented its experience, and panelists included representatives from the Peruvian Agency for International Cooperation (APCI) and the MEGAM Project (Improvement of Environmental Management of Mining and Energy Activities in Peru).

Michel Tapiero, Director of the ARI Project and WUSC Peru, and Estela Monroy, Development Officer at the Embassy of Canada, concluded the event and reflected on the completion of the ARI Project.

Thanks to the Government of Canada’s new feminist approach and the event itself, it was possible to highlight the current situation of women in the country and in the municipalities, and to call for those present to reflect on the inclusion of women in decision-making in their districts, with the aim of creating greater equality throughout the country. The ARI Project did considerable work with gender issues in influential regions, and was able to bring to light situations where women have a great deal to contribute to the development of their communities.

Gabriela Castillo, community leader, San Pedro de Chaná, Ancash, Peru

Data:

• The ARI Project is an initiative developed by WUSC (World University Service of Canada) and funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
• In Peru, the project was developed in Ancash, in the municipalities of San Pedro de Chaná and Chavín de Huantar.
• The ARI Project has also carried out work in the municipalities of Villagarzón and Nunchía in Colombia, and in Colcha K and San José de Chiquitos in Bolivia.
• The program length is 4 years (2014-2018).
• The ARI Project aims to generate the sustainable wellbeing of women and men in target communities where there is influence from mining and hydrocarbon extractive industries.
• For more information visit: www.proyectoari.com

Presentations (in Spanish only):

• Day 1
  • Progobernabilidad
  • ARI Project
  • Decentralization Secretariat
  • Apurímac Local Leaders Network
• Day 2
  • CISAL
  • Ciudadanos al día
  • Municipality of San Pedro de Chaná, ARI Project
  • Public Works Tax Deduction (Ministry of Economy and Finance)
  • PROINVERSIÓN
  • Uniterra

Estela Monroy, Development Officer at the Embassy of Canada; Gabriela Castillo, community leader, San Pedro de Chaná, Ancash, Peru; Gail Cockburn, Director of Global Affairs Canada’s Development Program in Peru and Bolivia; Lidia Melgarejo, leader communautaire, Chavín de Huantar, Ancash