Philosophical Reflections on the United Nations’ Universal Standard for Good Governance
Philosophical Reflections on the United Nations’ Universal Standard for Good Governance

Summary/Abstract: One of the fundamental challenges to the question of good governance consists basically in what are generally considered to be the major elements or main components of good governance. This is evident in the problems that surround the conception of the concept. According to the United Nations and its agencies, “good governance is participatory, consensus-oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive, and follows the rule of law.” Consequently, the problem of good governance seems to have become a problem exclusively for the public office holders, politicians, public administrators, lawyers, political scientists, Transparency International, and other associated bodies. However, this paper argues that the question “What is good governance?” is not primarily a political or economic question. It contends that the question is primarily a philosophical question that could be best clarified by investigating the defining features of the concept. It emphasizes the need for philosophers to be involved as part of the leading voices in the debate/discourse about good governance because the word “good” is a value-laden concept that carries an inherent sense of judgement. Also, the paper critically assesses the central elements and the main indices of good governance. It also examines the nexus between good governance and democracy as well as the implication of Plato and Aristotle’s critical comments on the latter. Finally, the paper concludes by examining whether the United Nations’ global standard for good governance is really universal or relative.

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