ACRC's first overseas export of e-People platform to Tunisia

March 25, 2018

Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission

The Republic of Korea

The Tunisian government will continue the spirit of democracy and social participation of the "Jasmine Revolution" by accepting Korea's "e-People" platform. It will be the first case of actual operation of "e-People" in a country other than Korea.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) of Korea announced on the 25 that a ceremony for e-People system opening was hosted on the 23 in Tunisia, with attendance of Mr. Hedi Mekni, the head of Tunisian Office of Government Coordination; Madame Faiza Limam, the chief of the Bureau Central des Relations avec le Citoyen (BCRC, Central Bureau of Citizen Relations); and Mr. Kwon Taesung, the Vice-Chairperson of the ACRC.

Tunisia located on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa is the land of the old Carthage where legendary commander Hannibal distinguished himself more than two millennia ago. Young people of Tunisia that has 3,000-year-long time-honored history led the Jasmine Revolution to success in December, 2010, by using social network platforms such as Facebook.

Tunisia made a new beginning as a republic after breaking away the French rule on March 20, 1956. As they lacked in natural resources, Tunisia has put much importance on human resources and focused on education, just like Korea.

Such passion for education became the catalyst to the Jasmine Revolution that broke the dictatorship that suppressed the freedom of people down.

"Jasmine Revolution" was named after Tunisia's national flower "jasmine." It was first-ever peaceful revolution that took place in the Arabian and African region, which took down the dictatorial government of former president Ben Ali who had ruled Tunisian for 24 years since 1987. It triggered spread of democratization movement to neighboring countries including Egypt and Syria.

Tunisia enacted a new constitution in March, 2014, and ensured freedom of the people by electing a new democratic government through a free and fair election in October the same year.

After the success of the Jasmine Revolution, the people and government of Tunisia have faced a challenge to sublimate the strong demand for democratization and people's social participation further raised by the revolution into national development.

The Tunisian government came to get interested in the e-People system successfully working as the platform to collect people's opinions in Korea with which it established formal diplomatic ties in 1969 and then, people from the Tunisian government visited Korea in November, 2011.

e-People operated by Korea's Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) is a window of communication with people, through which people can raise civil complaints against administrative agencies, suggest their ideas about administrative improvement, do diverse reporting, and advance their opinions about policy. It was established in 2005.

e-People has been globally recognized for its excellence and even received "Public Administration Prize" from the UN in 2011.

Mr. Kal Selami, the director general for the Digital Government Bureau of Tunisian Prime Minister's Office, directly visited the ACRC during his official visit to Korea, to explain the current status in Tunisia and the country's objective of wanting to introduce e-People and to discuss ways of practical cooperation between the two countries.

The ACRC and the Tunisian Prime Minister's Office signed an MOU that specifies the exchange of experts, technical and information support, preliminary feasibility study, etc., for the establishment of "Tunisian e-People," in December, 2012.

Then, the Tunisian government secured the ODA resources of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in cooperation with the ACRC. In February 2016, briefing about the beginning of establishment of "Tunisian e-People" was hosted in the country, with attendance of the ministers of Tunisian Public Service, Good Governance, and Anti-Corruption Ministries, officials of the ACRC, the Korean ambassador to Tunisia, and so on.

Minister Kamel Ayadi of the Tunisian Anti-Corruption Ministry expressed his big interest in e-People at the briefing, saying, "We will create all necessary institutions for e-People to successfully take root in Tunisia."

Mr. Kim Jong-seok, the Korean ambassador to Tunisia, said, "The people of Tunisia who brought about the Jasmine Revolution fully deserve this kind of privilege and Korea will spare no support for the country by sharing its experiences of establishing and operating Korea's e-government system."

After the briefing, the Tunisian government and Korea launched the development of "Tunisian e-People" system in February that year. On the 23 this month, the system opening ceremony was held in Tunisia with attendance of Mr. Hedi Mekni, the head of the Tunisian Government Coordination Office, ACRC Vice-Chairperson Kwon Taesung, and Ambassador Kim Jong-seok.

From now on, the people of Tunisia can raise civil complaints or suggest their ideas for administrative improvement, as well as report cases of corruption or budget waste, on Tunisian e-People.

Mr. Hedi Mekni said at the opening ceremony for Tunisian e-People, "Tunisian e-People system has been established in order to promote democracy and modernize Tunisia's administrative service. It is the second-largest national project in the country. As we have a new window for communication with the people open today, we are now able to effectively respond to their expectations and requirements."

He went on to say, "I would like to express my gratitude to the ACRC of Korea, KOICA, and the system establishment team for their active cooperation for the establishment of Tunisian e-People. I hope cooperation between the two countries will be further expanded in diverse fields."

In conversation with the head of the Tunisian Government Coordination Office, ACRC Vice-Chairperson Kwon Taesung highlighted that a swift and effective handling of complaints and other cases submitted through e-People will be more important than the system establishment itself.

He also said, "Tunisian e-People will be able to further evolve into an important window of communication that works as the bridge between the people and the government, just as in Korea."

Mr. Mekni agreed with Vice-Chairperson Kwon, saying, "The Prime Minister Office of Tunisia will directly manage the system, so that each public agency can provide feedback to people quickly."

Adel Bouhula, the head of Tunisia National Computerization Agency that is in charge of the computation equipment such as the server for Tunisia's e-People and system maintenance said that ideas of the ACRC greatly helped when beginning the project for establishment of e-People in Tunisia.

Madame Faiza Limam, the chief of the BCRC of Tunisian Prime Minister's Office said, "We began to plan the establishment of e-People in order to provide the optimal public services to the people at any time, any place. Now, the people of Tunisia can participate in government policies without any limit of time and space. In addition, 1882 Help Desk will be operated along with e-People, so now the Tunisian government can take a step closer to the people."

ACRC's director for e-People said, "The process of establishing e-People system in Tunisia worked as an opportunity to let the people and public officials of the country know about Korea and I actually felt that their image of Korea has improved."

He added, "Beginning from Tunisia, we will actively cooperate with other countries and make more efforts so that e-People can establish itself as the leading e-government brand that contributes to "expanded participation of people and raised national transparency" around the world."