Celebrating the world’s public servants
As countries ramp up their efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UN DESA highlights the central role of public institutions in delivering the promise of the 2030 Agenda. The annual United Nations Public Service Forum and Awards, held on the UN Public Service Day, 23 June, celebrate the men and women who act as the backbone of institutions and the brainpower that enables the day-to-day delivery of public services.
The Forum offers an opportunity for public servants from different countries to come together to share challenges and strategies on how to better deliver public services. It provides a platform for the exchange of experiences on how to innovate in the public sector to advance the 2030 Agenda.
“Promoting responsive, effective and accountable institutions lies at the heart of the work of the United Nations and sits at the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” said Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General and Head of UN DESA. “Transparent and accountable institutions, free from corruption, ensure that public service delivery is both accessible and equitable so that no one is left behind.”
The 2019 UN Public Service Forum will be held from 24 to 26 June in Baku, Azerbaijan, under the theme “Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through Effective Delivery of Services, Innovative Transformation and Accountable Institutions.”
The Forum will focus on developing effective and accountable public institutions that empower public servants to better serve their constituents and leave no one behind. The Forum aims to equip public servants from all levels of government with the skills and mindsets needed to provide effective and responsive services, as well as to meet the SDGs.
The Forum will include capacity building workshops with sub-themes, such as linking government performance with the power of disruptive technologies, digital transformation for the SDGs, promoting more gender responsive public service and enhancing social inclusion of vulnerable groups (see full programme here).
The Forum will also host a plenary panel on SDG 16 with a focus on accountable and effective institutions, providing a strong link to the 2019 High Level Political Forum (HLPF) which is set to review SDG 16 in July.
The Forum will also feature the UN Public Service Awards ceremony. The Awards, accorded by UN DESA, recognize the exceptional public servants from across the globe who deliver strong, inclusive and effective institutions and services.
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