The Gabonese government took an active part in the UN Summit on Innovation in Governance, held on November 5-6, 2026, in Baku, Azerbaijan. The summit, organized with the National Agency for Public Services and Social Innovations, brought together decision-makers, personalities, and experts to discuss the transformations in public action. Gabon was represented by Minister of Public Service and Capacity Building Laurence Ndong.
Minister Ndong presented Gabon's experience in administrative modernization, linked to the structural reforms conducted under the leadership of President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema. The goal is to build a more efficient, equitable, responsible, and citizen-oriented public service. This approach is based on three main objectives: repair, reform, and pilot. The first objective aims to restore the dignity and role of public agents.
The Gabonese government has undertaken a large-scale project to regularize administrative situations that had been pending for a long time. In nine months, 75,000 situations have been regularized, particularly in matters of integration, titularization, advancement, and reclassification. Minister Ndong emphasized that no development policy can produce lasting effects if the men and women who implement it are not valued, empowered, and fully aware of their mission.
The second objective concerns the renovation of the legal and statutory framework. Minister Ndong mentioned the ongoing work to revise the General Statute of the Public Service and the General Statute of Civil Servants, which date back to 1991 and 2005. A national workshop was held in July 2026 to examine and enrich the new draft texts in a participatory approach.
The third objective focuses on modernizing human resource management. Minister Ndong presented the progress made in implementing the Integrated Human Resource Management System, which will become a central tool for managing staff, careers, and employment forecasting. This system is based on the Interministerial Directory of Gabonese State Jobs, which has identified 141 reference jobs.
The session offered a framework for exchanges with other represented countries on the necessary conditions for building effective, adaptable, and future-proof public administrations. Minister Ndong expressed her satisfaction with the interest generated by the Gabonese approach, particularly regarding the importance of revaluing public agents in the administrative transformation process.
The participation of Gabon in this international summit allowed the country to present its orientations, achievements, and perspectives on public service reform, while enriching national reflection through exchanges with other administrations. This participation also reflects the government's commitment to continuing the construction of a modern administration based on human capital valorization, digital transformation, performance, and improved public service quality.
Key points
- The Gabonese government aims to build a more efficient, equitable, responsible, and citizen-oriented public service through its vision of reformed and modernized administration.
