The Role of Governance and Decentralization in poverty reduction

Two recent developments in Madagascar illustrate that he government is attempting to reduce poverty by advancing good governance and decentralization. First, the establishment of autonomous provinces in order to better understand the concerns of people at the local level and second, the development of a ‘National Strategy for Poverty Reduction’ in which governance is given a top priority. The report focuses its analysis on four main areas: the situation of human development at the national level and in the autonomous provinces, the importance of governance as a factor in poverty reduction, a specific analysis of decentralization in Madagascar and its contribution to setting up good local governance and the forms of public participation in the economic, political and social life of the country. The report concludes that political and social mobilization are the key to allowing the poor to influence political decision-making.