Major local government conference hears from planning and place-shaping experts

(Left to Right): Host Yvette Shapiro, NILGA Head of Policy and Governance Karen Smyth, Cllr Steven Corr, Chair, NILGA Place Shaping and Infrastructure Network, Katrina Godfrey, Permanent Secretary, Department for Infrastructure, Prof Robin Hambleton, University of the West of England, Cllr Diana Armstrong, Vice-Chair, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and Sara Venning, CEO, NI Water

Senior civil servants, local government representatives and other planning experts outlined the potential benefits of ambitious planning and place-shaping policies today at a major conference in Enniskillen.  

The Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA)’s conference ‘Changing Places: Planning, Place-Shaping and Place-Making in Northern Ireland’ discussed key issues concerning the future of planning, the environment and economic development in Northern Ireland.

Held in the Killyhevlin Hotel and supported by Fermanagh & Omagh District Council, the conference brought together planning experts from the NI Civil Service, local government, business, academia and the environmental sector.

Speakers included:

•             Katrina Godfrey, Permanent Secretary DfI

•             Sara Venning, CEO, NI Water

•             Noelle McAloon, Enniskillen BID Manager

•             Paddy Gray, Emeritus Professor of Housing - Ulster University

•             Peter Morrow, Aecom

•             Ian Humphrey, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful

•             Robin Hambleton, University of the West of England and Urban Answers

As part of local government reform, the 11 councils took on significantly more responsibilities for the planning and place-shaping of our local communities.

The conference’s keynote speaker, Katrina Godfrey, Permanent Secretary at the Department for Infrastructure, said:

“Today’s conference is a welcome opportunity to exchange perspectives and views on how to shape the future of planning in Northern Ireland. Our Department has a clear and firm focus on people and their wellbeing and how this can be delivered through regional place-shaping. Good design can change lives, communities and neighbourhoods for the better. This is why we have worked to produce products like our urban stewardship and design guide “Living Places.” This provides strategic guidance on how places should develop and change going forward. By working together we can create sustainable, living places which support communities, improve well-being and help create high quality, accessible and inclusive spaces where people want to live, work, visit and invest.”

Cllr Stevie Corr, Chair, NILGA Place Shaping and Infrastructure Network also said:

“Planning powers are arguably local government’s greatest responsibility in Northern Ireland. Place-shaping and place-making are about getting the right things built in the right places, about the spaces around buildings and other key issues impacting on quality of life including social justice, job creation, regeneration, climate change and sustainable development.

“Councils seek to plan and deliver with local communities, as place-shaping affects the lives of everyone. It is key that local councils have strong, efficient and focused planning systems which partner bodies respond to dynamically and which effectively drive the Northern Ireland economy.

“Our local councils have a powerful role in creating vibrant and sustainable local communities. Today has been a fantastic opportunity to hear from leaders involved in changing our places and to discuss how local government can effectively lead future planning and infrastructure projects in Northern Ireland.”

Allstate celebrates 20 years of business in Northern Ireland

John Healy, Vice President and Managing Director of Allstate Northern Ireland celebrating the 20th anniversary with staff who have twenty years of continuous service. L-R Mark Lilburn, Pauline Lilburn, Jayne Workman, Paddy Warnock with Vice President and Managing Director John Healy centre.

One of the province’s biggest employers, Allstate Northern Ireland is marking its 20th anniversary in business.  

Now with three offices across the country, Allstate Northern Ireland was founded in 1999 in support of its parent company, The Allstate Corporation – one of the largest publicly owned property and casualty insurance companies in the United States. In the years since, the technology company has been recognised for multiple awards for its high-quality software development and business solutions services.

The company now has over 2,400 employees based in offices in Belfast, the North West and Strabane. Thirty-eight of those employees celebrated twenty years of continuous service with a celebratory dinner in Belfast City Hall earlier this summer, attended by Suren Gupta, executive vice president, Allstate Technology and Strategic Ventures

Last year, the company further cemented its commitment to Northern Ireland, opening a new headquarters in Belfast, located between Belfast Central railway station and the River Lagan. The development included over 140,000 square feet of Grade A office space, extensive refurbishment of the towpath, adjacent boat marina and a restaurant unit at ground level.

Working through the post Belfast Agreement era, the company has been a significant player in the economy and instrumental in developing the local skills base. Additionally, Allstate is now in the process of developing new apprenticeships in Northern Ireland.

As well as providing collaborative working environments, Allstate Northern Ireland have placed investment in reskilling employees through Open University. Initiatives like these have been encouraged by John Healy, who as Allstate Northern Ireland’s leader and President of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, recognises the need to ensure the workforce has the latest skills which can drive innovation and ultimately boost the NI economy.

The importance of diversity in its workforce is celebrated by Allstate Northern Ireland. Inclusive diversity enhances the company’s ability to attract, motivate and retain a diverse pool of high-performing employees necessary for continuing development and ensuring that Allstate Northern Ireland remains a key global player.

The company also understands the importance of giving back to local communities. One of these policies has been the creation of “Force for Good” committees in each of the offices, which awards all employees 15 hours to spend on volunteering opportunities of their choice. 

John Healy, Managing Director and Vice President of Allstate NI said:

“At Allstate Northern Ireland, we are continuing to shape our culture to maximise innovation and entrepreneurship. Through our developing talent pool, strong leadership, diverse input and inclusive thinking, we bring value every day to the Allstate Corporation, harnessing and developing new ideas which propel our transformation strategy.

“Our experience in Northern Ireland allows us to play a major part in the Allstate transformation plan, which is focused on accelerating and building upon a successful strategy of innovation so that we can continue to stand apart, not just as an insurance company but as a broader protection company. The plan is expected to see transformation in operational processes and technology across the enterprise which will enable a significant leap to customer-centricity.

“We see the potential for Northern Ireland, a place where we have grown our workforce ten-fold and provided high quality jobs across Belfast and the North West.

 “Our socially responsible policies are considered as a core component of our company’s overall service and product offering. We are unlocking our intellectual assets and people power to achieve a positive impact through initiatives which are authentic, valued, and critical to business performance.”

Belfast health worker presented with UK award

(From left to right): Della Money, Chair of the RCSLT Board of Trustees, Kamini Gadhok MBE, Chief Executive of the RCSLT, Mary Heritage, Deputy Chair of the RCSLT Board of Trustees, HRH Countess of Wessex GCVO, Tony O’Hara, SEHSCT, and Nick Hewer, President of the RCSLT at The Giving Voice Awards on 25 September.

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) has presented Tony O’Hara, Head of Services for Patient Experience at South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, with a national Giving Voice Award.

Tony was recognised for his work in supporting people with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties – also known as dysphagia – and was presented with the award at the prestigious awards ceremony in Nottingham, where he met the charity’s patron Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex.

The annual Giving Voice Awards celebrate those who have campaigned to highlight how speech and language therapy transforms lives. They are presented to individuals and organisations that have made particularly valuable contributions to improving the lives of people with communication and/or swallowing needs.

The judges were impressed with the inspirational leadership Tony demonstrated in creating a multi-disciplinary project that improved mealtimes for people with dysphagia after people had expressed dissatisfaction with pre-prepared modified texture food and drinks brought into the Trust.

Tony and his team worked with speech and language therapists, catering managers and dieticians to develop a menu plan focussed on fresh, healthy, IDDSI compliant, and enjoyable food and drink for people with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties.  The judges commended Tony for producing a tangible and sustainable model, which will impact greatly on the quality of people’s lives.

Head of the RCSLT Northern Ireland office, Ceara Gallagher said of Tony’s achievement:

“We are very proud of Tony receiving the National RCSLT Giving Voice Award. Tony is deserving of this Award as someone who goes above and beyond in his job and who is an advocate for people with eating and drinking difficulties. Eating and drinking normally is something that we all can take for granted even though it is one of life’s pleasures. Tony worked hard to ensure that the quality of the food and the overall experience of eating and drinking was significantly enhanced for those patients he worked with and for that reason he has made a huge impact on their quality of life.”

Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex GCVO DStJ attended The Giving Voice Awards, as Patron of The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, on 25 September 2019 at Council House, Nottingham.

Brown O'Connor Communications: Upcoming Key Political and Business Events + Live Consultations

Upcoming Key Political and Business Events

• 8 October, ‘Changing Places: Planning, Place-shaping and Place-making’, NILGA, Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen

• 11 October, 62nd Annual President’s Dinner, Derry Chamber of Commerce, Everglades Hotel, Derry

• 14 October, Queen’s Speech, Westminster

• 17-18 October, European Council Summit, Brussels

• 25-26 October, DUP Party Conference, Crown Plaza Hotel, Belfast

• 15-16 November, Sinn Féin Ard Fheis, Millennium Forum, Derry

• 23 November, IoD NI Connect & Influence: Reputation and Crisis Management Seminar for Directors, Riddell Hall, Belfast

Consultations

• Consultation on the Corporate Plan 2020-2023 Probation Board for Northern Ireland. Deadline 31 October.

• Consultation on Business Rates Department of Finance. Deadline 11 November.

• Consultation on Local Development Plan 2030 Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. Deadline 11 December.

• Environment Strategy for Northern Ireland – Public Discussion Document Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. Deadline 23 December.

Call for participants to join in the Better Club Games 2019

The winning team of the 2018 Better Club Games from Shankill Leisure Centre.

Social enterprise GLL is on the lookout for people aged over 55 to take part in its 2019 Club Games competition.

The annual games were established as part of GLL’s commitment to building stronger, more resilient communities by helping tackle loneliness and isolation among older people and encouraging people to move more, get active and make new friends.

GLL runs all of Belfast’s leisure centres in partnership with Belfast City Council and is using this year’s event as an opportunity to also raise money for Cancer Research UK. The competition is now entering its fourth year and the hope is that this one will be its biggest yet.

Club Games is looking for teams of people aged over 55, to participate in its competition on Friday 25th October at Girdwood Hub in Belfast. The closing date for entries is Friday 11th October 2019.

The sports that participants will compete in are:

1. Badminton

2. Boccia

3. Table Tennis

4. Bowls

5. Walking Basketball

6. Cycling

7. Dander Ball

Ronan McKenna, Regional Community Sports Manager said:

“Club Games is one of our key events and is getting bigger and more competitive ever year. Last year 11 teams took part from leisure centres across the city and there was some serious competition for the winning team.

“The games started as part of our commitment to improving health and wellbeing in the communities in which we work. One of the areas we wanted to focus on was those people aged over 55, who might feel lonely or isolated.

“The games are also a way of breaking down barriers that often stop older people using their local leisure centres and to show them off as a real community hub.

“We hope to encourage a few more teams to enter this year and we would also urge individuals to enter because we can also set them up with a team.”

Harry Larkin, a previous participant of last year’s Club Games said:

“I’ve become a regular member of Shankill leisure centre and find that it really helps in keeping me active and fit for my grandkids!

“The Club Games are brilliant craic and the competition is fierce for the top spot. Our own team would welcome any new participant who wants to take part.”

Anyone who would like to participate in this year’s Club Games should contact Martin Brownlee at Girdwood Hub on 028 9521 7870, before 5pm on Friday 11 October.

Respect Human Rights Film Festival to feature Q&A with Hooded Men

Festival Director, Seán Murray

A fascinating documentary which traces the roots of the western governments use of torture is set to feature as part of the Respect Human Rights Film Festival which takes place in Belfast this weekend.

‘Eminent Monsters’ which is directed by Stephen Bennett includes extraordinary first-hand testimony from those who have experienced the physical and mental effects of torture including the ‘Hooded Men’. It will be screened on Sunday evening in An Cultúrlann.

This screening comes at the time of a recent decision by the Court of Appeal which ordered a criminal investigation into the treatment of the Hooded Men. The Court of Appeal confirmed that the abuse these men faced in 1971 would be characterised as torture, if it was used today.

Following the screening, a Q&A session will be chaired by Festival Director Seán Murray and will include two of the Hooded Men, Liam Shannon and Francis McGuigan in what will be a poignant and revealing talk.

Respect Human Rights Film Festival will take place in venues across Belfast between 4-6 October. More information and tickets are available at https://www.respectfilmfest.com/.

Speaking ahead of this screening, Festival Director Seán Murray said:

“I am thrilled that Eminent Monsters will screen as part of Respect Human Rights Film Festival this weekend.

“This is a truly enthralling and revealing documentary which gets to the heart of human rights abuses which some in our society have faced. The success of the festival thus far demonstrates the increasing demand for festivals like this that empower, educate and advocate for those without a voice.

“I am particularly thankful that two of the Hooded Men, Liam Shannon and Francis McGuigan will share their powerful testimony at the festival.”

Andrew Jenkins appointed new Fintech Envoy for Northern Ireland

Andrew Jenkins, new Fintech Envoy for Northern Ireland appointed by HM Treasury

Andrew Jenkins, Director of mobility data and analytics company Arity, has today (Friday 4th October) been appointed as the Government’s new Fintech Envoy for Northern Ireland.

Fintech is one of the fastest growing sectors in the UK economy, and Northern Ireland is increasingly recognised as an important destination for new development and investment in Fintech, with over 36,000 people employed in the financial services sector.

Mr Jenkins will become the lead ambassador for Northern Ireland’s thriving Fintech sector, promoting it as a place for firms to develop and grow their business. The appointment, made by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, John Glen, underlines the UK Government’s unwavering commitment to the Union as the UK prepares for Brexit, as well as promoting Northern Ireland as a great place to do business.

The Economic Secretary to the Treasury, John Glen, said:

“Fintech is vital to the future of financial services, and we want every corner of the UK to be able to harness its power.

“I want to congratulate Andrew on taking up his new role as Fintech Envoy, where he will play a critical role in helping the sector to grow and flourish in Belfast and beyond.

“I have no doubt that he will build on the success of the existing envoys in ensuring that we remain a world leader in Fintech and at the cutting edge of the digital revolution.”

Fintech Envoy for Northern Ireland, Andrew Jenkins, said:

“I am honoured to be chosen as the Fintech Envoy for Northern Ireland, where I will collaborate with the sector here to harness our incredible potential to lead the region and beyond in Fintech expertise and offerings.

“I will work to bring together business and civic leaders to invest in leading edge technologies and applications, focusing on emerging capabilities in blockchain, artificial intelligence and data security, to further grow the sector in Northern Ireland.

“Our mandate as part of the UK Fintech strategy is to capitalise on what we have already have in place here in Northern Ireland. With strong Government support, close collaboration between big companies and start-ups and a world class workforce, Northern Ireland has the potential to become the best place in the world to start and build a Fintech company.”

Financial Technology – or Fintech – refers to the new innovations made in financial services which are giving people greater choice and control over their finances. This includes areas like digital banking, payment technologies, peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding platforms.

Mr Jenkins has more than 20 years of experience in the technology sector, including the financial services, utilities, insurance, telecoms and transportation sectors. In his current role at Arity, a company founded by The Allstate Corporation, he leads work to harness mobility data to create more relevant and safer mobility experiences for everyone. He will take over the role from Georgina O’Leary, who was appointed to the role in May 2018.

He will join the current envoys based around the UK in championing the power of Fintech:

• David Ferguson, CEO of Nucleus Financial, and Louise Smith, Head of Intelligent Automation at RBS (envoys for Scotland)

• David Duffy, CEO of CYBG (envoy for England)

• Chris Sier, Chairman of Fintech North (envoy for the Northern Powerhouse)

• Richard Theo, CEO of Wealthify (envoy for Wales)

TEDxStormontWomen launches ‘Bold and Brilliant’ public speaking initiative for 500 young women

500 women and girls are set to take part in one of the most ambitious public speaking programmes in Northern Ireland in conjunction with TEDxStormontWomen. The initiative will take place across October and November ahead of the TEDxStormontWomen event in Parliament Buildings, Stormont on 12 December.

The TEDxStormontWomen Masterclass programme, a partnership between the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building and Bespoke Communications, which includes former broadcaster Sarah Travers and public speaking expert Camilla Long is set to deliver a cross-community, intergenerational, capacity building initiative with the main aim of making girls and women more confident in public speaking.

The fun, interactive sessions will help participants to better understand the body language of influence, how to develop a persuasive presentation style that is uniquely theirs and to think about how the structure of their message impacts on what others hear.

Following the success of the TEDxStormont public speaking programme delivered in partnership with The Executive Office Urban Villages initiative which ran in the summer, TEDxStormontWomen is expanding the initiative to 500 women and girls across Northern Ireland. The winner of the previous series, Tegan Nesbitt’s talk has been viewed 16,000 times on YouTube since its upload in September.  

John Blair MLA, sponsor of TEDxStormontWomen:

“I am thrilled to be backing TEDxStormontWomen this year. It is a great event that shows the power of public speaking and how ideas worth telling in a confident way can push forward the equality agenda in Northern Ireland.”

“The opportunity that the “bold and brilliant” public speaking programme offers will be so beneficial for women and girls across Northern Ireland and is a really important element of this year’s TEDxStormontWomen. This will be an empowering initiative for women, especially in 2019 when we really should be bridging the gap for women to have positions of power and authority. Focus on communication skills will be a great boost for the participants from across Northern Ireland who will be taking part.”

“I encourage all women and girls to join up and get involved in the programme as the opportunities that this will open up for them is truly unique.”

TEDxStormontWomen curator Eva Grosman:

“TEDxStormontWomen is such an exciting event and the opportunity to continue on the work we began with ‘Talk like TED’ in the summer and to expand it to 500 women and girls is a thrilling prospect. Northern Ireland is thriving with young women who have great ambition and ideas, so to give them such a big platform for them to share and give voice to these ideas is fantastic.

“The ambition and creativity that was displayed during the previous series from young people shows the dynamic and inspiring ideas and stories that many have. These ideas and stories should be shared. We are thrilled to have partnered with Bespoke Communications so that they can impart their fantastic knowledge of public speaking to the young girls throughout the initiative.

“In 2019, the role of women in positions of power and authority is pulled into focus and the need for balance in the worlds of leadership and politics is prevalent. To teach young women and encourage them to be the leaders of their generation is both a privilege and a duty for our society to carry out.

“It is vitally important for girls from across Northern Ireland, from all backgrounds to be confident in public speaking and unafraid of sharing and creating new ideas. The initiative will work towards grounding the skills and methods of communication that will help with speech giving and presentation and encourage them to know that their opinions and stories matter.”

For more information please visit: http://democracyandpeace.org/tedxstormontwomen-returns-to-parliament-buildings-in-december/

New local government group formed to lobby for greater role for NI councils

Chair of NILGA’s new Reform, Devolution and Improvement Network Cllr Mark Glasgow

A new local government group has been established to press for greater resources, devolution of powers and public sector improvement led by local councils.

The Reform, Devolution and Improvement Network set up by the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA), will study and seek changes to legislation – existing & delayed – together with policies and collaborative work across the public service on modernising the roles and powers of local government in NI. It will lobby with evidence for the devolution of greater powers and resources to local government, following cost benefit consultation, to allow councils and wider government to encourage local decision taking and prioritisation of more efficient public services.

The Network will develop a draft Programme for Local Government, with the primary aim of setting a growth and efficiency agenda to make NI more sustainable, aligned to but not dependent upon any restoration of the Legislative Assembly at Stormont.

The network will seek input from government and a wider base of social, community and business partners applying the principle and practice of co-design.

After today’s first meeting, the network’s chair Cllr Mark Glasgow (Mid Ulster District Council) commented:

“Local government remains a chronically under-utilised, under-resourced and under-financed part of our public service & our democratic governance here in Northern Ireland. The establishment of the Reform, Devolution and Improvement Network therefore comes at crucial time for NI and our local councils.

“For nearly three years now, we have been the only functioning form of political government in Northern Ireland. The strain on our councils and public services is more extreme than ever. Huge financial and administrative pressures are now the norm and greater uncertainty and constraints are to come. We must not exist from budget year to budget year just to get by, just when we are being asked to do more services with less resource. Local people and communities deserve greater certainty about ownership of the future, so we want to rewire how we’re governed and get local governance improved. There’s no time to waste.

“Between now and the next local government election in March 2023, the Reform, Devolution and Improvement Network will work hard to outline the tangible benefits of greater devolution of powers and resources to local councils. Reform of local government started in 2014 and, since then, we’ve seen our councils take on new and important responsibilities for local communities. That was just Chapter One of a new era. The job is only partly finished, we must now push to complete the reform of local, democratic institutions and public service provision in Northern Ireland. 

“No longer can we have a “parent and child” approach to policies and budgets – we must as councils now be treated as an equal player and leaders in the governance of Northern Ireland and make this place more accountable, sustainable and well-governed.”

Local government calls for immediate return of Executive to ease extreme pressures on councils and public services

NILGA Chief Executive Derek McCallan with NI Water Chief Executive Sara Venning

The Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA) has called for the immediate return of the NI Executive to resolve the financial pressures faced by local councils, NI Water and the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) after meeting with chiefs from both organisations.

NI Water’s Sara Venning and Interim Chief Fire & Rescue Officer Michael Graham from the NIFRS met with NILGA’s Central-Local Government Political Forum today to discuss budget pressures, key local service provision and governance in Northern Ireland.

The forum, made up of MLAs and Councillors from the five main parties and 11 councils across Northern Ireland, brings together all levels of government in NI, as well as relevant stakeholders, to seek solutions to matters of common concern across the local government network.

In the Assembly’s absence, the Forum provides opportunity for co-operation, maintaining a key link between central and local government members in Northern Ireland, with councils facing unprecedented pressures on their budgets and resources. Its existence, however, serves to sharply highlight the increasingly unsustainable position in which the continued absence of an Assembly has left local government and other key public services.

The 11 local councils are now the only democratically elected and fully functioning part of government currently fulfilling all their duties, and unfinished business is piling up, including elements of the Local Government Act over four years since it was made law.

The Forum, which met at NILGA’s offices, heard presentations from both organisations on their mounting financial and resource pressures.                                                                                                                                                                                 

NILGA Chief Executive with Interim Chief Fire & Rescue Officer Michael Graham

Chief Executive of NILGA, Derek McCallan said:

“Today’s meeting with two of Northern Ireland’s most important public services has come at a crucial time. Ms Venning and Mr Graham outlined to us the financial pressures their organisations are facing.

“Local government shares their concerns and many of these same pressures, so NILGA wants to see a working and sustainable Assembly and Executive up and running to resolve these pressures as soon as possible. Until that happens, however, local councils must be given the powers, resources and finances to get things done.

“Public services like NI Water can play a vital role in enabling Northern Ireland’s economic growth. In key sectors like tourism and agrifood, NI Water provides high-quality water and effective treatment of the wastewater generated. But, as Ms Venning clearly outlined to us today, the stark reality is Northern Ireland’s water infrastructure is a relic from decades ago. Wastewater facilities in 99 towns across all 11 council areas are at or near capacity which will have a knock-on effect on housing, business expansions and ‘city deal’ projects and flooding and drainage networks need updated. NI Water estimated earlier this week that it needs over £2.5billion to bring NI’s water networks into the 21st century. To address major infrastructure deficits, key public services like NI Water need immediate and significant levels of government support and funding.”

Councillor Frances Burton, NILGA President also commented:

“As we saw with the responses to the Primark fire in Belfast city centre and the mountain wildfires in August 2018, the Northern Ireland Fire &  Rescue Service is a vital public service we cannot do without. Unfortunately, the NIFRS is facing intense budgetary pressures and this was a good opportunity for elected representatives to hear how they are managing these in a safe and effective way. However, like all our public services, NIFRS needs a functioning NI Executive. Local councils will do all they can to assist the NIFRS and will work collaboratively with the service to map out a future direction for Northern Ireland but they need greater powers and resources to do so.                                                                             

“We want to see key public services like water provision and fire and rescue services fully funded and given all the support they need to best carry out their roles. The strain on these vital public services, as well as local government, is as severe as ever. The situation is not sustainable and fails the ordinary people of Northern Ireland. Local government will work with key public services like NI Water and the NIFRS to ensure we can provide high-quality public services. But we need to be given the tools to do our job properly.

“Any new Programme for Government must prioritise devolving greater powers to local government to ease the significant pressures currently felt across the public sector. Local councils have been the only fully functioning form of government in Northern Ireland for nearly three years. It is time they are equipped with the powers, resources and finances to make Northern Ireland more accountable, sustainable and well-governed.”