The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through its Programme on Governance in the Arab Region (POGAR), and the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, launched an initiative on "Good Governance for Development in the Arab Countries (GfD)," in partnership with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and in collaboration with Arab and International organizations.

The Initiative was launched at a regional conference that was held at the Dead Sea in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on 6-7 February 2005, under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II. The initiative is founded on three inter-related reform areas; administrative, financial, and judicial and has six themes:

1. Civil Service and Integrity
2. E-Government and Administrative Simplification
3. Governance of Public Finances
4. Public Service Delivery, Public-Private Partnership and Regulatory Reform
5. Role of the Judiciary and Law Enforcement
6. Citizens, Civil Society and Public Sector Reform in the Arab Region

The GfD Initiative agrees with the principles declared by the document of Development, Modernization, and Reform adopted by the Arab leaders at 16th Arab Summit held in Tunisia on 23 May 2004, and the Alexandria Statement adopted at the conference on "Issues of Reform in the Arab World: Vision and Implementation" held in Alexandria, Egypt on 12-14 March 2004.