There is only one week left to heed the call of the United Nations, seeking nominations for the UN Public Service Awards 2014. With the submission deadline on 18 December 2013, this international contest is designed to promote and support innovations in public service delivery worldwide. The award is open to public organizations of all kinds, including Governments and public-private partnerships that are involved in delivering services to citizens around the globe.

The 2014 UN Public Service Awards will be held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, and they will be bestowed on those public institutions that have distinguished themselves in the following categories: Improving the Delivery of Public Services; Fostering Participation in Policy-making Decisions through Innovative Mechanisms; Promoting Whole-of-Government Approaches in the Information Age and Promoting Gender-Responsive Delivery of Public Services.  The award highlights cutting edge innovations and recognizes that democracy and successful governance are built on a competent civil service.

“The United Nations has long recognized the importance of good governance and efficient public administration”
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

“The United Nations has long recognized the importance of good governance and efficient public administration. Current global consultations on the post-2015 agenda have further underscored their centrality to all development objectives. United Nations Public Service Day encourages countries to celebrate the contribution of public servants to society’s progress,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his message for the 2013 United Nations Public Service Day.

The day was established by the Economic and Social Council in 2003 to promote better delivery of services by Governments and to encourage excellence in the public service. As Mr. Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General of UN DESA, emphasized during the 2013 United Nations Public Service Awards ceremony held in Manama, Bahrain, “With limited resources and mounting challenges facing Governments in the delivery of public services, today’s innovative winners inspire us to work harder to address public service challenges”.

The global event is organized by UN DESA’s Division of Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) in partnership with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).

While contenders cannot nominate themselves, interested institutions deemed to have designed and implemented innovations in any one of the prize categories can have their name put forward by Governments or civil society organizations. Nominations must be made online here from 18 September 2013 until 18 December 2013.

For background information about the UN Public Service Awards and past winners. All winning cases of the United Nations Public Service Awards (UNPSA) are available as iPad and iPhone applications It can be downloaded for free and as an eBook.