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Innovating governance for sustainable development and people’s well-being

The United Nations Public Service Forum, Public Service Day and Public Service Awards Ceremony will take place from 23 to 26 June in Seoul, Republic of Korea. Award winners from 14 countries will be honored for their innovative projects in fighting poverty and promoting sustainable development.

As noted by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, “the annual observance of Public Service Day highlights the invaluable contributions of public servants and administrators in our efforts to build a better world for all. At a time of complex and interdependent global challenges, effective governance and efficient public administration are central to meeting our development goals. They will also be vital for implementing the post-2015 development agenda.”

The UN Public Service Awards will honor projects that fight poverty and promote sustainable development. The winners will be presented to delegations from around the world during a high-level Awards Ceremony on 26 June.

“These winning institutions demonstrate the principles that support transparent, accountable and collaborative governance. They have explored new pathways to enhance the role of responsive and accountable governance for sustainable development,” notes Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, who will open the awards ceremony.

Some of this year’s winning projects involve: improving education; increasing access to potable water in rural areas; improving access to and the quality of health care; integrating government data including social security systems; enhancing transparency through increased access to information for citizens; and reducing infant mortality rate among other efforts.

“These winning institutions demonstrate the principles that support transparent, accountable and collaborative governance. They have explored new pathways to enhance the role of responsive and accountable governance for sustainable development”

Wu Hongbo
UN DESA’s
Under-Secretary-General

The winners are from the following countries:

1st place winners: Austria, Bahrain, Brazil, Morocco, Oman, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay

2nd place winners: Bahrain, Brazil, Cameroon, India, Republic of Korea, Spain

Public Service Forum on Innovating Governance

The 2014 UN Public Service Forum comes at a time when governments are taking stock of progress, obstacles and challenges faced and consolidating their efforts to achieve efficient and equitable service delivery for better living standards of their citizens. This year’s theme is “Innovating Governance for Sustainable Development and Well-being of the People.”

Nearly 1,000 participants are expected to attend, including high-level personalities, ministers, senior government officials, and representatives from civil society, academia, the private sector, and international and regional organizations.

The Forum and Awards are hosted by the Government of the Republic of Korea and organized by UN DESA in partnership with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the UNDP Global Centre for Public Service Excellence, among others.

In 2003, the UN General Assembly designated 23 June as the UN Public Service Day to celebrate the value and virtue of service to the community. The UN Public Service Forum, Day and Awards Ceremony aim to support the achievement of internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.

Follow the United Nations Public Service Forum and Awards on social media:
Facebook: United Nations Public Administration Network
Twitter: @unpan
Official Hashtags: #unpsa2014 #unpsa

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