In an op-ed published today, American Enterprise Institute (AEI) scholar Paul Wolfowitz and co-authors Mark Palmer and Patrick Glenn explain how the United Nations can aid transitional democracies, such as those fostered by the Arab Spring, by establishing clear goals on governance and the rule of law.

"Countries that are governed poorly are not reducing poverty, no matter how much foreign assistance they receive….If the U.N. is serious about promoting democracy, it should establish goals, similar to its Millennium Development Goals, to measure progress on governance and the rule of law."

Proposed Millennium Governance Goals would:
•    CREATE A SCORECARD: Develop a publicly available scorecard based on "establishing written constitutions and laws; implementing universal suffrage and free elections; guaranteeing freedom of speech and association; protecting the independence of the judiciary; and ensuring the accountability of officials."
•    ESTABLISH NORMS: "[S]etting goals agreed upon by the international community would establish a minimum standard of good governance for judging a state's actions and provide a way to measure progress."
•    PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT: "Despite imperfections, democratic societies have been generally more successful than politically closed societies in combating extreme poverty and hunger, and ensuring the health of their citizens."

Read the full article here.

Paul Wolfowitz spent more than three decades in public service and higher education, including serving as President of the World Bank, Deputy Secretary of Defense, and Ambassador to Indonesia. He can be reached through julissa.milligan@aei.org or 202.862.5905.

For help reaching any AEI scholars and for all other media requests, please contact Jesse Blumenthal at jesse.blumenthal@aei.org or 202.862.4870.