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Left: In Montenegro, a program brings social services to vulnerable populations. Middle: A mother displays a birth certificate required for her daughter's education, Cameroon. Right: A health worker explaining handwashing technique to a woman, India.
Photo:Left: Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDP Montenegro/Milos Vujovic Middle: Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Women/Ryan Brown Right: Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵICEF/Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵI338937/Vinay Panjwani

On United Nations Public Service Day, we honour the contributions of public servants everywhere and reaffirm the public sector¡¯s foundational role in building safe and stable societies.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Secretary-General Ant¨®nio Guterres

United Nations Public Service Day and Awards

The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Public Service Day intends to celebrate the value and virtue of public service to the community; highlight the contribution of public service in the development process; recognize the work of public servants, and encourage young people to pursue careers in the public sector. Since the first Awards Ceremony in 2003, the United Nations has received an increasing number of submissions from all around the world.

is the most prestigious international recognition of excellence in public service. It rewards the creative achievements and contributions of public service institutions that lead to a more effective and responsive public administration in countries worldwide. Through an annual competition, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Public Service Awards promotes the role, professionalism and visibility of public service.

Origin

On 20 December 2002, the General Assembly designated 23 June as Public Service Day by adopting resolution .

To bolster recognition of the Day and the value of public service, the United Nations established the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Public Service Awards () programme in 2003, which was reviewed in 2016 to align with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Public Service Forum is a global event that focuses on capacity development in public governance. Each year Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ DESA organizes the Forum with a host country, using the event to host capacity-development workshops, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Public Service Awards ceremony and a Ministerial Roundtable.

Public Service Day poster.

2026 Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Public Service Forum

23 - 25 June 2026
Tbilisi, Georgia

The 2026 United Nations Public Service Forum will take place in Tbilisi, Georgia from 23 to 25 June 2026, under the theme "Transforming Public Institutions: Advancing innovation, Participation, and Inclusion". The Forum is co-organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ DESA) through its Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG) and the Ministry of Justice of Georgia.

More details

Public institutions for the Sustainable Development Goals

Effective, accountable and inclusive institutions are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is recognized by SDG 16 and the . The Agenda also recognized that governments have the primary responsibility for implementing the SDGs and ensuring follow-up and review over the coming 15 years, at the national, regional and global levels. One of the first steps governments take to implement the Agenda is often to shape the institutional arrangements for steering the implementation of the SDGs and reviewing progress.

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.

Did you know?

  • Global Trust: In democratic countries, public trust in government increased by a few percentage points from 2020 to 2022, maintaining around 42-43%. However, it is still nearly 10% lower than in 1995.
  • Aid Impact: International aid positively impacts 52 out of 74 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators, significantly contributing to progress on SDG indicators 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11, and 17.
  • Public Debt: The cost of servicing public debt as a percentage of revenue is higher now than ever before.

Key Documents

Related links

Related Observances

The brings together approximately 800 to 1,000 participants annually. It serves as a platform for discussing emerging challenges, innovative practices, and capacity development strategies related to sustainable development. Each year, the forum explores a specific critical area of public governance and brings together leaders, policymakers, practitioners, and representatives from various sectors.

The , one of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDESA¡¯s Flagship Reports, aims to capture the emerging issues, concerns and innovations in governance and public administration, especially those that contribute to the realization of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Development Agenda including the Sustainable Development Goals. The report is intended for policy makers, practitioners and civil society, particularly in developing countries and transition economies.

an abstract illustration of people engaged in an event

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ observances.