CENTRE FOR APPLIED ETHICSPublic ethics

The actions and decisions made by institutions and public administrations are based on criteria regarding what is right or wrong. Public ethics analyses these criteria to determine how regulations, policies, and public practices can contribute to the common good through social justice and the inclusion of diversity.

Today, public ethics focuses not only on the integrity of public servants, political and institutional representatives, and civil servants, but also on analysing the social and political infrastructure that influences the behaviour of these individuals. It also includes the private sector.

For example, corruption affects public representatives or civil servants, but it cannot be analysed separately from the actions of private companies.

There are also private organisations that have the capacity to influence the decisions of the public sector, promoting changes in its policies, such as NGOs or universities.

To be credible, they must also open pathways for society to verify the social value of their mission.

One of the current trends in public ethics is what is known asopen government. These are processes in which the state involves social actors, such as NGOs or associations, in decision-making and the monitoring of its policies. This model helps citizens, through organisations, to play a role in shaping and overseeing the government.

The Centre for Applied Ethics focuses its research in this area. It aims to understand and facilitate these processes. Among its projects is the monitoring of the drafting and implementation process of the 2019-2020 Open Government Action Plan of the Basque Country. A group of researchers has been appointed to propose recommendations to improve government transparency, citizen participation and accountability.