Left: In Montenegro, a program brings social services to vulnerable populations. Middle: A mother displays a birth certificate required for her daughter's education, Cameroon. Right: A health worker explaining handwashing technique to a woman, India.
Photo:Left: UNDP Montenegro/Milos Vujovic Middle: UN Women/Ryan Brown Right: UNICEF/UNI338937/Vinay Panjwani

United Nations Public Service Day and Awards

The UN Public Service Day intends to celebrate the value and virtue of public service to the community; highlight the contribution of public service in the development process; recognize the work of public servants, and encourage young people to pursue careers in the public sector. Since the first Awards Ceremony in 2003, the United Nations has received an increasing number of submissions from all around the world.

2023 United Nations Public Service Awards takes a break

As the UNPSA programme marks its 20th anniversary in 2023 and at the midway point to the year 2030, a comprehensive review of the UNPSA has been undertaken to assess the effectiveness of the programme and make necessary adjustments to better promote and disseminate innovations in the public sector.

 

The United Nations Public Service Awards is the most prestigious international recognition of excellence in public service. It rewards the creative achievements and contributions of public service institutions that lead to a more effective and responsive public administration in countries worldwide. Through an annual competition, the UN Public Service Awards promotes the role, professionalism and visibility of public service.

Origin

On 20 December 2002, the General Assembly designated 23 June as Public Service Day by adopting resolution 57/277.

To bolster recognition of the Day and the value of public service, the United Nations established the UN Public Service Awards (UNPSA) programme in 2003, which was reviewed in 2016 to align with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The United Nations Public Service Forum is a global event that focuses on capacity development in public governance. Each year UN DESA organizes the Forum with a host country, using the event to host capacity-development workshops, the UN Public Service Awards ceremony and a Ministerial Roundtable.

Public institutions for the Sustainable Development Goals

Effective, accountable and inclusive institutions are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is recognized by SDG 16 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Agenda also recognized that governments have the primary responsibility for implementing the SDGs and ensuring follow-up and review over the coming 15 years, at the national, regional and global levels. One of the first steps governments take to implement the Agenda is often to shape the institutional arrangements for steering the implementation of the SDGs and reviewing progress.

Public administration - the cornerstone of governments' work-plays an essential and critical role in improving people’s lives. Reinventing public administration is a positive and necessary way forward. Without public administration modernization and transformation to adapt to today’s needs, realizing a better future for all will be impossible. Where capable administrations are lacking, governments are incapacitated; and where governments are incapacitated, sustainable development falls short.

Key Documents

Related links

Related Observances

2017 UNPSA

The United Nations Public Service Forum brings together approximately 800 to 1,000 participants annually. It serves as a platform for discussing emerging challenges, innovative practices, and capacity development strategies related to sustainable development. Each year, the forum explores a specific critical area of public governance and brings together leaders, policymakers, practitioners, and representatives from various sectors.

Open Budget initiative

The World Public Sector Report, one of UNDESA’s Flagship Reports, aims to capture the emerging issues, concerns and innovations in governance and public administration, especially those that contribute to the realization of the UN Development Agenda including the Sustainable Development Goals. The report is intended for policy makers, practitioners and civil society, particularly in developing countries and transition economies.

an abstract illustration of people engaged in an event

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances.