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United Nations Public Service Day is celebrated on 23rd June every year to highlight the contribution of public service in the development process and to value public service to the community. Read on for complete details.
On United Nations Public Service Day, the UN Public Service Awards are given. The first award ceremony took place in 2003. It is known as the most prestigious international recognition of excellence in public service. The creative achievements and contributions of public service institutions are rewarded that lead to a more effective and responsive public administration in the countries globally.
United Nations Public Service Day: Theme
Each year, the United Nations Public Service Day is celebrated with a specific theme that reflects the current challenges and opportunities in the field of public service. Some of the past themes of the United Nations Public Service Day are:
- 2024: Fostering Innovation amid Global Challenges: a Public Sector Perspective.
- 2023: Freedom, Equality and Justice for All
- 2022: Building back better from COVID-19
- 2021: Innovating the Future Public Service: New Government Models for a New Era to Reach the SDGs
- 2020: Action Today, Impact Tomorrow: Innovating and Transforming Public Services and Institutions to Advance the Sustainable Development Goals
- 2019: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through effective Delivery of Services, Innovative Transformation and Accountable Institutions
- 2018: Transforming Governance to Realize the Sustainable Development Goals
The themes of the United Nations Public Service Day reflect the global issues that require the attention of public servants and the need for innovation and transformation in the field of public service delivery. The themes also emphasize the role of public service in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and promoting sustainable development, good governance, and the provision of essential services to citizens.
United Nations Public Service Day: History
On 20 December, 2002, the United Nations General Assembly designated 23 June every year to observe as United Nations Public Service Day by passing a resolution 57/277. Various events are organised to highlight the contributions done by public servants. No doubt democracy and successful governance can’t be achieved without public service or public administration.
Let us tell you that at the same time Africa Public Service Day is also celebrated in Africa to coincide with the United Nations Public Service Day.
This day is celebrated by various public service organisations and departments around the world by organising several events to recognise the role of public servants in making developments and improvements in the community. Events or activities that are organised are as follows:
- Feature stalls and provide information about this day.
- With the guest speakers lunches are organised.
- Internally within public service agencies or departments award ceremonies will also be organised.
- To honour public service special announcements are done etc.
The Agenda of 2030 for Sustainable Development Goals focuses on innovative transformation and emphasise the values and principles like ‘leaving no one behind’, integration, partnerships and universality which is needed to be taken into action. United Nations Public Service Forum highly focuses on SDG 16 and SDG 10. Public institutions should timely deliver the needed services and should follow the principles of transparency, accountability and inclusion. Also, the forum will provide a platform for the Ministers and other senior decision makers to reflect and realise the SDGs. Even participants also get an opportunity to participate in the discussion and can debate on various emerging topics, strategies, innovative approaches, transformations required to deliver SDGs leaving no one behind the 2030 Agenda.
Therefore, we can say that United Nations Public Service Day is celebrated to recognise the work of public servants, encourage people to pursue careers in the public sector and to highlight the work, contribution of public service in the development process and the service given to the community.
Celebrating UN Public Service Day:
2016 presents an unprecedented opportunity for the world to come together and embark upon a journey to transform the world. From ending poverty to eliminating hunger, to reaching social and economical equality, and to taking climate actions; sustainable development cannot be realized without the concrete efforts from public institutions with effective public service delivery.
Every year on 23 June, a date designated by the General Assembly, the United Nations Public Service Day is celebrated around the world. It highlights the value and virtue of public service to communities and development, as well as recognizes the work of public servants and encourages young people to pursue careers in the public sector.
In order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals “governments everywhere will need to adopt innovative and integrated approaches to promote policy change, institutional coordination, participatory decision-making, and effective, responsive, inclusive and accountable service delivery,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon when UN Public Service Day was celebrated in 2015.
The 2030 Agenda for sustainable development calls for a society that leaves no one behind. Public servants around the world are undertaking important work to ensure that this vision becomes a reality.
To commemorate the UN Public Service Day this year, a special event will be held at UN Headquarters in New York on 23 June on the theme of “Leaving No One Behind through Innovative Public Service Delivery”.
This event aims to highlight the importance of effective public service delivery in implementing the SDGs, as well as promoting the innovations in the delivery of public service.
Follow the conversation via social media using the hashtag #UNPS2024. The commemoration event starting at 10:30 am EDT on 23 June will also be broadcast live via UN Web TV: http://webtv.un.org
