THE CHARTER OF CIVIL SOCIETY
FOR THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY

ARTICLE XVII

Good Governance

1. The States shall adopt and implement all appropriate measures to ensure good governance which is just, open and accountable.
   
2. The States recognise and affirm that the rule of law, the effective administration of justice and the maintenance of the independence and impartiality of the judiciary are essential to good governance.
   
3. The States, recognising that integral to the concept of good governance are the complementary roles of government, the social partners and the citizenry, shall ensure that the rights and responsibilities of all are clearly established and that the appropriate environment for their exercise and discharge, as the case may be, is fostered.
   
4. The States, in order to ensure morality in public affairs, agree that holders of public office and all those who exercise power the exercise of which affects or may affect the public interest, shall so order their affairs in accordance with national law that such ordering gives no cause for conflict to arise or to appear to arise between their private interests and their duties to the public, or to otherwise compromise their integrity. To this end, the States agree to establish a Code governing the conduct of the holders of public office and all those who exercise power, the exercise of which affects or may affect the public interest.
   
5. The States shall undertake:
   (a) to foster continuously greater cost-effectiveness in their operations while being facilitative and supportive of the development process;
   
   (b) to ensure that all persons are treated fairly, humanely and equally by public authorities and holders of public office and all those who exercise power so as to affect the quality of life of our people;
   
   (c) to ensure responsiveness to the needs of the people as consumers in the delivery of goods and services.
   
6. The States undertake to preserve and respect the existence of an independent public service with attractive career opportunities open to all on the basis of merit and which is effective, efficient, responsive, adaptive and innovative in its conduct of public administration.
   
7. The States in order to further the participation of the people in the democratic process shall establish effective systems of ongoing consultations between the Government and the people.
   
8. The States shall undertake to ensure that in the process of governance, there is no victimisation of any person.

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