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1. Introduction

The Conference is a working meeting of the Heads of State and Government of reform-oriented Centre-Left governments (not a party event). The participants hope to initiate a regular exchange of experience at government level and close co-operation between experts and advisers.

The Conference is a follow-up to the meeting held in Florence on 21 November 1999 on "Progressive Governance for the 21st Century", to which the then Italian Prime Minister D'Alema invited Federal Chancellor Schr÷der, Prime Minister Blair, Prime Minister Jospin, President Clinton and President Cardoso. The themes included a modern understanding of justice, efforts to combat unemployment and the future of democracy.

It is planned to continue these discussions at the Conference with a view to sharing experience on how best to tackle problems encountered in carrying out reforms. The focus will initially be on national policies (the opportunities and challenges of globalisation, comparison of policy options).

The meeting is planned to end with a joint communiqu‰ spelling out the common values and challenges identified by the Heads from their particular point of view. It is envisaged that Chancellor Schr÷der will present these conclusions, followed by short statements by the respective Heads.

In preparing for the experts meeting the Federal Chancellery has been fortunate to have the advice and support of the Social Science Research Centre Berlin (WZB) headed by Professor Friedhelm Neidhardt.

2.
Experts meeting: objectives and schedule

Most of the international participants are academics who act as advisers to their governments. The objective of this meeting is:

- to provide conceptual input for the meeting of Heads of State and Government; the rapporteurs will brief Heads accordingly at their closed meeting on 3 June;

- to define the main issues likely to dominate the debate on progressive governance over the years ahead;

- to explore the prospects for establishing a network of experts that could continue the discussion and possibly prepare follow-up meetings.

The rapporteurs will present approx. 20-minute introductory statements to the plenary session and on 3 June brief Heads on the outcome of the experts meeting.

The discussion leaders will structure the discussion in the working sessions. All participants are asked to make short statements on the issues they feel are most important and also contribute to the general discussion.

If technical support is required (overhead projectors etc.), please let us know at least a week before the Conference. Fax and international telephone facilities, Internet connections and photocopiers will be available. Laptops may be used following a brief security check (a few minutes).

At plenary sessions simultaneous interpretation will be provided in German, French and English. At working sessions the conference language will be English.

Schedule 2 June

10.00 a.m. Arrive at the Federal Chancellery (car entrance Neumannsgasse 2); please note that no parking facilities are available)
Issue of conference documents

10.30 a.m. Welcome by the Head of the Federal Chancellery, State Secretary Dr. Steinmeier, and the President of the Social Science Research Centre Berlin (WZB), Professor Neidhardt
Location: Bankettsaal

11.00 a.m. Plenary session: Introductory statements by the rapporteurs designed to identify sets of themes and tentatively define the issues involved
Location: Bankettsaal

12.15 p.m. Buffet lunch: Opportunity to meet the discussion leaders, rapporteurs and other participants

1.30 p.m. Working sessions: 3 parallel sessions: session 1 Festsaal; session 2 Bankettsaal; session 3 Kabinettsaal. Participants planning to attend a different session from the one suggested below are asked to let us know their wishes by 26 May.

The rapporteurs and discussion leaders were selected from among the registered participants. We hope you will appreciate that, for organisational reasons and given the need for conceptual preparation, it has not been possible to draw the rapporteurs and discussion leaders from all countries on an equal basis.

At the working sessions the discussion leaders should be able, in the light of the introductory statements in the plenary session and impromptu statements by a number of German experts, to chair a constructive debate. They are requested to consult accordingly with the rapporteurs.

(3.00 p.m. Coffee break to approx. 3.30 p.m.)

Working session 1
Civil society and the role of politics

Issues
- Democratic function, political performance
- New patterns in the distribution of responsibility between active civil society and the activating state
- A new balance between the rights and obligations of citizens
- Civil society in the globalisation age
- National governments, international organisations and NGOs in the international arena
Rapporteur: Prof. J’rgen KOCKA
Chair of History, Free University of Berlin
Discussion leader: Dr. Stephen HOLMES
New York University of Global Law Centre; former director of the Soros Foundation Central and Eastern European Democratisation Project

Working session 2
Industrialised countries and emerging economies in the New Economy and digital revolution age

Issues
- The New Economy and fundamental values (shareholder value; dominance of the financial markets; autonomy of the individual; globalisation and mergers; social and ecological role of companies)
- Types of paid employment in the New Economy
- Education and the New Economy: educational requirements and level, labour mobility, educational institutions (curricula, quality, international dimension) as key requirements of and variables in attracting the New Economy
- Global infrastructure of the New Economy: Internet, telecommunication technologies, media and related governance issues; benchmarking innovation systems
- Dynamics of the New Economy and opportunities for regions and countries; international development disparities
- National and transnational solidarity structures in the New Economy age; "social risk management"

Rapporteur: David SOSKICE
Fellow emeritus, University College, Oxford University; Director of WZB Research Unit on Economic Change and Employment
Discussion leader: Prof. Georges CHARPAK
Nobel Prize (Physics) 1992; Centre Europ‰en pour la Recherche Nucl‰aire (CERN); Member of the French Acad‰mie des Sciences; Member of the Acad‰mie universelle des cultures

Working session 3
Modernisation of the state - good governance

Issues
- State spending - state functions: What is the proper province of the state? (efficiency-oriented concepts of the state versus activation strategies/enabling authority; innovation strategies in providing public services; role of nation-states in promoting subnational modernisation strategies)
- Public services and administration in a competitive context (public-private partnership; benchmarking; a "learning administration"; strategic management of public services)
- Co-responsibility of citizens for the quality of life in their cities (citizens' participation in decision-making/devolution; mobilisation of individual initiative)
- Activating labour market policies - best practice
- Health policy and combating poverty
Rapporteur: Prof. Pierre ROSANVALLON
Director-General of the Fondation Saint-Simon; Research Director of the Ðcole des Hautes Ðtudes en Sciences Sociales
Discussion leader: Prof. Werner JANN
Chair of Political Science, Administration and Organisation of the University of Potsdam

4.30 p.m. Plenary session: Presentation of results by the discussion leaders
5.30 p.m. End of the experts meeting
5.45 p.m. Transfer to Schloss Charlottenburg
6.30 p.m. Reception, meeting with Heads of State and Government, addresses by the Federal Chancellor and other Heads
8.00 p.m. Dinner for international experts in the Kleine Orangerie (short walk from the Schloss)
_________________________________________________________________________
Saturday, 3 June

9.00 a.m. Conference of Heads of State and Government at the Federal Chancellery
Briefing by the rapporteurs from 9.00 to 10.00 a.m.

11.30 a.m. - Summary of the conference results by the Federal Chancellor
12.15 p.m. (communiqu‰), with further comments by President Clinton and President Mbeki, statements by other Heads
- participation of experts if desired -

12.45 p.m. - Luncheon at Debis House, Potsdamer Platz
2.15 p.m. Please note: Departure of President Clinton 2.00 p.m.

2.30 p.m. - Tour of the Reichstag Building, followed by individual departures
3.15 p.m.

4. Participants in the working sessions

Working session 1 Civil society and the role of politics

D
Dr. Erhard Eppler
Manfred G’llner FORSA, Berlin
Prof. Rolf G. Heinze Chair of Sociology, Ruhr University of Bochum
Prof. J’rgen Kocka Chair of History, Free University of Berlin
Prof. Friedhelm Neidhardt President of the Social Science Research Centre Berlin (WZB)
Prof. Josef Schmid Institute of Political Science, University of T’bingen
Prof. G. Folke Schuppert Visiting professor at WZB, Chair of Public Law at the Humboldt University of Berlin
Prof. Wolfgang Seibel Department of Public Policy and Managements, University of Constance
Prof. Wolfgang van Director of the WZB Research Unit on Standard-setting
den Daele and the Environment

USA
Dr. Stephen Holmes New York University Global Law Centre; former Director of the Soros Foundation Central and Easter Europe Democratisation Project
CAN
Greg Marchildon Deputy Minister to the Premier of Saskatchewan and Cabinet Secretary
FRA
Edith Arnoult Pr‰sidente du Centre National pour la Vie Associative
Prof. Irˆne Thery Directeur d'‰tudes € l'EHESS
Dr. Henri Weber S‰nateur de Seine-Maritime; Secr‰taire national du Parti socialiste
SWE
Maria Arnholm Senior Consultant and Partner
Rolf Ek‰us Swedish Ambassador to the United States
Morgan Johansson Member of Parliament
Kristina Rennerstedt State Secretary, Ministry of Justice
GR
Prof. Christos Rozakis Prof. of International Law, University of Athens, Vice President of the European Court of Human Rights
Prof. Nicos Mouzelis Prof. of Sociology, London School of Economiocs
Dr. Christos Rokofyllos Attorney at Law
Dr. Nikos Themelis Head of Strategic Planning, Prime Minister's Office
ARG
Dr. Francisco Delich former dean of the University of Buenos Aires; former dean of the University of Crdoba; Director of the Argentine National Library
Dr. Carlos P‰rez Llana Ambassador - Designate to France; Prof. of International Relations, Writer

Working session 2 Industrialised countries and the emerging economies in the New Economy and digital revolution age
D
Prof. Hans-J÷rg Bullinger Chair of Labour Studies, University of Stuttgart
Prof. Meinolf Dierkes Director of the WZB Research Unit on Organization and Technology
Prof. Jo Groebel European Institute for the Media
Prof. Kai Konrad Institute of Public Finance and Social Policy, Free University of Berlin
Prof. Frieder Meyer-Krahmer Director of the ISI - Fraunhofer Institute Systems and Innovation Research
Prof. Eckhardt Minx DaimlerChrysler AG Research and Technology
Prof. G’nter M’ller Institute for Information Technology and Society
Prof. Bert R’rup Department of Economic and Public Finance, Darmstadt University of Technology, member of the Federal Government's Council of Economic Experts
David Soskice Director of the WZB Research Unit on Economic Change and Employment
Prof. Axel Zerdick Institute of Journalism and Communications Studies,
Free University of Berlin
Prof. Klaus F. Zimmermann President of the German Institute for Economic Research

USA
Mark Penn Penn&Schon Market Research and Polling

CAN
Robert Lacroix Rector of the University of Montreal

FRA
Prof. Georges Charpak Nobelpreis 1992 f’r Physik; CERN
Prof. Eve Chiapello Prof. de gestion € HEC; Chercheur € l'Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS)
Prof. Pierre-Alain Muet Repr‰sentant du Pr‰sident du Conseil d'Analyse Economique; Conseiller auprˆs du Premier ministre
Prof. Jean Pisani-Ferry Prof. d'Economie; Membre du Conseil d'Analyse Economique
SWE
Susanne Ackum-Agell Ph.D., Director General of the Office of Labour Market Policy Evaluation
Sandro Scocco Economist at the Swedish Labour Union
Christer Sturmark IT-Unternehmer; Chairman of the Advisory Committee to the Commerce and Industry Minister, on the Digital Economy
GR
Prof. Gikas Hardouvelis Prof. of Economics and Finance, University of Piraeus
Prof. George Doukidis Prof. in Information Systems, University of Athens of Economics and Business
ARG
Dr. Alfredo Guti‰rrez Girault Director of the Center of International Economy, National Government

Working session 3 Modernisation of the state - good governance

D
Prof. G’nther Schmid Director of the WZB Research Unit on Labour Market Policy and Employment
Prof. Werner Jann Chair of Political Science, Administration and Organisation of the University of Potsdam
Prof. Wolfgang Merkel Institute of Political Science of the Ruprecht Karls University of Heidelberg
Prof. Birger Priddat Chair of Economics and Philosophy at the University of Witten-Herdecke
FRA
Dr. Alain Bergounioux Charg‰ de mission auprˆs du ministre de la Fonction publique et de la R‰forme de l'Etat; Secr‰taire national du Parti socialiste
Prof. Pierre Rosanvallon Directeur d'‰tudes € l'EHESS

USA
Al From President of the Democratic Leadership Council
Prof. Rebecca Blank University of Michigan, z.Zt. Universit„t M’nchen

CAN
Robert Rae former Premier of Ontario

SWE
Claes Hultling M.D., Ph.D., Director at Spinalis Research Unit, Karolinska Institutet
Joakim Palme Senior Researcher, Swedish Institute for Social Research, Stockholm University

GR
Prof. Constantinos Tsoulakas Prof. of Sociology, University of Athens
Prof. George Papadimitriou Prof. of Constitutional Law, University of Athens
Dr. Michael Modinos Environmental and Regional Planner, University of Thessaly
Platon Tinios Ph.D., Economist

ARG
Dr. Natalio Botana Historian, Writer, Specialist on Governmental affairs
Dr. Luis Stuhlman

Issued by the Office of the President, SA

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