The UN Public Service Awards is an international recognition designed to promote excellence and support innovations in public service delivery worldwide. It is open to public organizations, including Governments and public-private partnerships, delivering services to citizens around the globe. DESA’s Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) has been organizing information sessions to raise awareness about the programme. The next briefing for Member States will be held in New York on 10 November.
As Mr. Sha Zukang, DESA’s Under-Secretary-General emphasized during the 2010 UN Public Service Awards ceremony in Barcelona, Spain, “The winners have shown great dedication to upholding the values and virtues of excellent public service and have provided examples of efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability. In transmitting their lessons-learned they are assisting all governments in devising ways to improve the lives of citizens everywhere”.
Held annually on the 23 June, the designated international Public Service Day, the 2012 Public Service Awards will mark the 10th anniversary of the programme. The awards will be bestowed on those public institutions that have distinguished themselves in the following categories: preventing and combating corruption in the public service; improving the delivery of services; fostering participation in policymaking decisions through innovative mechanisms; advancing knowledge management in government and promoting gender-responsive delivery of public services.
The awards highlight cutting edge innovations and recognize that democracy and successful governance are built on a competent civil service.
As part of its strategy to raise awareness of the programme and generate nominations for innovative projects that can provide solutions to countries facing similar challenges around the world, DESA through DPADM collaborates with multiple partners, including UN Women, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and UNDP country offices.
To consolidate these efforts, DESA conducts three information sessions for Permanent Missions to the UN in New York. The first sessions were held on 13 and 27 October. The remaining session will be held on 10 November.
