United Nations Public Service Day 2024; June 23rd.

FORUM: "Fostering Innovation Amid Global Challenges: A Public Sector Perspective." United Nations Public Service Day 2024.

The 2024 United Nations Public Service Forum and Awards Ceremony will take place in Incheon, Republic of Korea, from 24 to 26 June 2024, under the theme ‘Fostering Innovation Amid Global Challenges: A Public Sector Perspective’. As we strive for the realisation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and navigate through increasingly fragile and uncertain conditions, institutions must actively cultivate innovation and embrace forward-thinking mindsets to effectively address both current and future challenges. Within this context, the Forum will focus on the role of fostering innovation and transformation in the public sector, with a view to enhancing the current and future capabilities of public administrations so they are readied to be more adaptive, anticipatory, agile, inclusive, and responsive in meeting development objectives amid complex global challenges. The Forum will provide a platform for Ministers, senior level decision-makers, and working level public servants to reflect upon and develop the skills needed to devise tangible actions to foster innovation and transformation at the local and national levels. The Forum is co-organised by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) through its Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG) and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea (MOIS).

EVENTS: On June 23rd, we will honor the public servants for their honorable work to mark the United Nations Public Service Day 2024. From 24 to 26th, will be held the 2024 United Nations Public Service Award ceremony at the Songdo ConvensiA - 123, Central-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406-741, Republic of Korea. Get the Agenda Programme!

SCHEDULES

10:00~11:00 -   Opening Ceremony and Keynote Speech
Opening Remarks:
- Lee Sang-min, Minister of the Interior and Safety, Republic of Korea;
- Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations
Keynote Speech: Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations

11:00~11:30 - Coffee break
Plenary I: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Government
Moderator: David Green, Director for S&T Innovation, Transition & Integration Systems, Green Resilience Insights
Speakers:
- Sherzod Shermatov, Minister of ICT, Republic of Uzbekistan
- Dimitri Kusnezov, Under Secretary, US Department of Homeland Security
- Inhyok Cha, Committee Member & Team Leader of Digital Twin TF, Presidential Committee on Digital Platform Government
- Barbara-Chiara Ubaldi, Deputy Head of Division & Head of Unit OECD Public Governance Directorate

 Parallel Workshops, 

Session I

Workshop 1: Gender-inclusive Leadership and Public Sector Innovation for Sustainable Development: Empowering Women Leaders for Future-ready Public Administration
Strategies to Promote Gender Equality in Public Administration - Lessons Learned in Asia and the Pacific

Workshop 2: Young Public Servants: Engaging young people for a more innovative, effective and future ready public sector
Attracting and recruiting young talent to the public service for a future ready public service

Workshop 3: Changing Mindsets: Cultivating Systems Thinking and Foresight in Public Sector Leadership
Building the Foundations to Cultivate Systems Thinking, Foresight and Innovation in Public Sector Leadership II

Workshop 4: Fostering Innovation through Digital Sandboxes and AI Sandboxes
Presentations from UNPSA initiatives or country case-studies in AI sandboxes

Workshop 5: Enhancing global resilience to disasters and climate change
Inclusive Governance and Community-based Resilience

Workshop 6: Navigating future government: AI and public administration
Expanding the Potential Areas of AI in Public Administration

Workshop 7: Strengthening public institutions for climate action

Harnessing Digital Solutions in Public Institutions for Climate Action

 
18:00~19:30 Welcoming Dinner hosted by the Minister of the Interior and Safety

DAY 2

09:30~11:00 Plenary II: Revitalising partnerships for sustainable development

- Moderator: Lamia El Moubayed, Vice Chair, UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA)
Speakers:
- Soon Ae Park, Professor, Graduate School of Public Administration, Seoul National University
- Ko Kidong, Vice Minister of the Interior and Safety, Republic of Korea
- Devon Rowe, Executive Director, Caribbean Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD)
11:00~11:15 Coffee break
11:15~12:30 Parallel Workshops, Session 3

Workshop 1: Gender-inclusive Leadership and Public Sector Innovation for Sustainable Development: Empowering Women Leaders for Future-ready Public Administration
Strategies to Promote Gender Equality in Public Administration - Lessons Learned in Africa

Workshop 2: Young Public Servants: Engaging young people for a more innovative, effective and future ready public sector
Retaining young public servants through an innovative and flexible public administration

Workshop 3: Changing Mindsets: Cultivating Systems Thinking and Foresight in Public Sector Leadership
Implementing Change through Systems Thinking, Foresight and Innovation in Public Sector Leadership I

Workshop 4: Fostering Innovation through Digital Sandboxes and AI Sandboxes
Lessons learned from applying regulatory sandboxes and policy experimentation in Bangladesh, Maldives and Kazakhstan

Workshop 5: Enhancing global resilience to disasters and climate change
Science & Technology Innovation for Responding to Landslides and Urban Floods

Workshop 6: Navigating future government: AI and public administration
AI-based HR Digital Transformation: Shaping the future

Workshop 7: Strengthening public institutions for climate action
Strategic Foresight for Climate Action


12:30~14:00 Lunch

 
14:15~15:45 Parallel Workshops, Session 4

Workshop 1: Gender-inclusive Leadership and Public Sector Innovation for Sustainable Development: Empowering Women Leaders for Future-ready Public Administration
Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions

Workshop 2: Young Public Servants: Engaging young people for a more innovative, effective and future ready public sector
Fostering dynamic leadership at all levels

Workshop 3: Changing Mindsets: Cultivating Systems Thinking and Foresight in Public Sector Leadership
Implementing Change through Systems Thinking, Foresight and Innovation in Public Sector Leadership II

Workshop 4: Fostering Innovation through Digital Sandboxes and AI Sandboxes
Conclusion and Recommendations

Workshop 5: Enhancing global resilience to disasters and climate change
Novel Approach for Climate Crisis

Workshop 6: Navigating future government: AI and public administration
AI in the Public Sector: Potential and Pitfalls

Workshop 7: Strengthening public institutions for climate action
Strategic Foresight for Climate Action

 
16:00~18:00 Study Tour

DAY 3

09:30~09:50:  Reporting back on 2024 UN Public Service Forum
09:50~11:20:  Plenary III: Ministerial Roundtable
Facilitator:
- Laila El Baradei, Professor of Public Administration Department of Public Policy and Administration, School of Global Affairs and Public Policy (GAPP)
11:20~11:35: Coffee break
11:35~12:20: UN Public Service Awards Ceremony
12:20~12:30: Closing Ceremony

Simultaneous interpretation for the plenary sessions will be available in Korean, English and French. Simultaneous interpretation for workshops will be available in English and Korean.

United Nations Public Service Day 2023; June 23rd.

FORUM: "Pay tribute to the women and men around the world who are answering the highest call: public service." United Nations Public Service Day 2023.

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. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #UNPSA, #SDGs, #UNPublicServiceAwards, #PublicService, #Publicservants, #23june.

Statement by the United Nations Secretary-General on United Nations Public Service Day 2023. June 23rd.

Today, on United Nations Public Service Day, we pay tribute to the women and men around the world who are answering the highest call: public service.

This year’s celebration arrives at the half-way point towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Public servants and the institutions they support will be increasingly critical as the world accelerates action towards the Sustainable Development Goals, which are badly off track.

Technology must be at the heart of this acceleration. Every day, new technologies emerge that hold the potential to change the way we live and work. When harnessed by an informed, skilled and equipped public service, technology can improve the reach and effectiveness of public services, while driving progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

As we mark this important day, let us celebrate the work of public servants worldwide, and find new ways to apply innovation to our work to shape a better, more sustainable future for all people.

U.N. Secretary-General.

EVENTS:  Celebrating 20 years of Public Service Innovation for Sustainable Development and Inclusion - Marking the 20th anniversary of the UNPSA.

To bolster recognition of the Day and the value of public service, the United Nations established the United Nations Public Service Awards (UNPSA) programme; In 2023,  the 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. Today we celebrate the UNSPA and the 20 years of excellence in public service, showcasing global initiatives driving positive change. Let's be creative and achieve the Sustainable Development Goal together!

- 2023 Civil Society Townhall: Solutions for a Sustainable future through enhanced global cooperation.

The 3rd Civil Society Townhall entitled ''Solutions for a Sustainable future through enhanced global cooperation.'' will be held on June 27, 2023 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM (EDT) at ECOSOC Chamber, with the support of the Office of the president of the General Assembly, Department of Social and Economic and Social affairs, the United Nations Department of Global Communications  and the Office of the High Comissioner of Human Rights.

Building on the SDG Summit, the Summit of the Future in 2024 will be a key opportunity to reaffirm shared principles and advance practical solutions. As Member States embark on consultations on the scope and topics of the Summit of the Future, hearing questions and ideas from civil society will be important to inform those discussions. The Town Hall will serve as an opportunity for civil society to ask questions and to engage with the President of the General Assembly on issues including, but not limited to: 

• How can we strengthen the international community’s response to complex global shocks?  
• How can we deliver on our responsibilities to future generations yet to be born? How can youth engagement contribute to the discussion?
• How can the international community address the challenges and opportunities posed by rapid technological development, in particular in the area of AI, and ensure a just digital transition?
• How can the international community go beyond GDP as the primary measure of development and progress towards SDGs?
• What are the most important challenges to be addressed by the Summit of the Future? What role do you see for the Summit of the Future in the implementation of sustainability transformation at all levels?

QUIZZ: UNDESA Public Institutions and Digital Government.

This campaign seeks to highlight the value of public service, acknowledge the contributions of public servants, and inspire young individuals to pursue careers in the public sector. As the world faces pressing challenges and with only seven years to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, embracing innovation in the public sector becomes crucial for accelerating progress. The UNPSA rewards and honors the creative achievements and effective contributions of public institutions in enhancing public administration and supporting sustainable development worldwide.

 

United Nations Public Service Day 2022; June 23rd.

FORUM: "The role of public institutions and public servants in building back better from COVID-19;" United Nations Public Service Day 2022.

United Nations Public Service Day, celebrated on 23 June each year, recognizes the value and virtue of public service to the community; highlights the contribution of public service in the development process; recognizes the work of public servants, and encourages young people to pursue careers in the public sector.

STATEMENTS

Statement by the U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on U.N. Public Service Day 2022, June 23rd​.

There is no higher calling than serving others.

Each year on United Nations Public Service Day, we honour those women and men around the world who proudly dedicate their ideas, innovations and energies to serving their communities and humankind.

As this year’s theme reminds us, public servants are increasingly working shoulder-to-shoulder with a range of local and global partners to drive recovery and sustainable development in their communities

From teaming up with the private sector on technological solutions to enhance public service delivery, to joining forces with civil society groups to better reflect a variety of voices across public policies, programmes and community responses, partnerships are critical to designing and delivering inclusive services.

As we mark this important day, let us celebrate not only the work of public servants worldwide, but their commitment to working in partnership to build a better future for all people.

António Guterres.

OTHER STATEMENTS

• Statement by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the General Assembly on U.N. Public Service Day 2022; June 23rd.
• Statement by H.E. Mr. Collen Vixen Kelapile, President of the Economic and Social Council on U.N. Public Service Day 2022; June 23rd.

EVENTS:  2022 UN Public Service Day commemoration.

Taking its lead from the 2022 theme of the United Nations High-level Political Forum (HLPF), the main body for reviewing implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, the 2022 UN Public Service Day commemoration, celebrated this year on 22 June, focused on the role of public institutions and public servants in building back better from COVID-19 as they work to meet the 2030 deadline for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.

 

The 2022 United Nations Public Service Award winners were announced during the online event by DESA's Under Secretary General Mr. Liu Zhenmin

2022 United Nations Public Service Awards