Good Governance Practices for protection of Human Rights (Discuss Transparency, accountability, and participation in governance - Role of civil society)

1. Project 2
Name: Shubham Suresh Chandgude
SRN: 202202311
Class: LLB 4th semester
Subject: Human Rights Law and Practice
Teacher: Dr. Sarika Sagar ma’am

2.  Introduction :
In every society, citizens have certain expectations from their governments.
Guaranteeing good governance ensures that these expectations are met, and social
and economic development is promoted. Inefficient governments result in a society
fraught with conflicts and wars. Ensuring good governance is not only dependent on
the governments but also the well-informed citizens of the country.
The dispute regarding ensuring good governance arises when the government
abridges the fundamental rights of citizens. It results in the citizens protesting
against the governments and leads to disorder in society. It is due to this reason
that the balance between good governance and Fundamental Rights is of primary
importance.

3.  The concept of "governance" is not new. It is as old as human civilization. Simply put
"governance"
means: the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are
implemented or not implemented. Governance can be used in several contexts such as
corporate governance, international governance, national governance and local
governance.
Since governance is the process of decision- making and the process by which decisions
are implemented, an analysis of governance focuses on the formal and informal actors
involved in decision-making and implementing the decisions made and the formal and
informal structures that have been set in place to arrive at and implement the decision.
Government is one of the actors in governance. Other actors involved in governance
vary depending on the level of government that is under discussion.

4.  Good governance has 8 major characteristics.
 It is participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive,
effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law.
 It assures that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into
account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-
making. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society.

5. Transparency is crucial for good governance because it ensures that
decisions are made and implemented according to established rules
and regulations. It also means that information about those decisions
is readily available to those who will be impacted by them. This
includes providing enough information in formats that are easy to
understand and access.
In simpler terms, transparency means being open and clear about
what decisions are being made, how they're being made, and why
they're being made, so that everyone involved knows what's going on.

6. Accountability is crucial in good governance. It means that
organizations, whether they're government bodies, businesses, or
nonprofits, are responsible for their decisions and actions. They need
to answer to the people or groups affected by what they do. For
example, governments are accountable to citizens, while companies
are accountable to shareholders and customers.
Transparency, or being open and clear about what they're doing, is
essential for accountability to work. Without transparency and
following the rules, it's hard to hold organizations responsible for
what they do. So, accountability, transparency, and following the rules
all go hand in hand to make sure things are done right.

7. Participation from both men and women is fundamental to good governance.
This means that people should have the opportunity to be directly involved in
decision-making processes or to participate through trusted representatives
or organizations. Simply having representative democracy isn't always
enough to ensure that everyone's concerns are heard, especially those of
the most vulnerable in society.
Participation should be both informed and organized, allowing for freedom of
association and expression while also fostering an active civil society. When
everyone has a voice and can contribute to decision-making, governance
becomes more effective and responsive to the needs of all members of
society.

8. Civil society is like the backbone of a democratic society. It's all about
people being able to participate in public life and have a say in how
things are run.
This idea comes from the teachings of Gandhi, who believed in people
coming together to help each other without waiting for the
government to do everything.
Civil society includes a lot of different groups, from big organizations
to just regular folks working together. It's about everyone pitching in
to make their community and country better, whether it's through
volunteering, activism, or just being informed and involved.

9. From the above discussion it should be clear that good governance is
an ideal which is difficult to achieve in its totality. Very few countries
and societies have come close to achieving good governance in its
totality. However, to ensure sustainable human development, actions
must be taken to work towards this ideal with the aim of making it a
reality.