The United Nations Public Service Day is celebrated every year on 23 June with the aim to appreciate the value of public service to the common people. It highlights the contribution and role of public service in the development process all over the world.
This day acknowledges the work done by public servants, their dedication towards the effort, and encourages young people to pursue careers in the public sector or office.
Every year, the United Nations (UN) conducts a Public Service Awards ceremony to reward contributions of public service institutions worldwide. To mark this special day, many public service organisations hold various events to recognise the valuable role undertaken by public servants for the improvement of society.
Theme for United Nations Public Service Day 2021
This year, the United Nations Public Service Day will be celebrated under the theme of “Innovating the Future Public Service: New Government Models for a New Era to Reach the SDGs”.
The event will focus on innovation and technology playing an important role in the delivery of public services. It will also look at preparing the future public service for a new era, so as to reach the 2030 sustainable development goals. It will highlight how countries and public servants have quickly adopted and used online mechanisms to continue their work during the coronavirus pandemic.
United Nations Public Service Day celebration in 2021
Due to the ongoing pandemic and lockdown in many countries, the event this year will be a virtual one where the Division of Public Institutions and Digital Government of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, are coming together with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to host a one-and-a-half-hour event online.
This event will bring together key stakeholders, public servants and UN officials from all over the world to respect and honour the work of public servants.
Origin of United Nations Public Service Day
The General Assembly on 20 December 2002, selected 23 June as Public Service Day after adopting a resolution 57/277. To recognise the day, the United Nations established the UN Public Service Awards (UNPSA) programme in 2003, which was later reviewed in 2016 to align with the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.
Meanwhile, the UNPSA aims to reward innovation and excellence in public services that lead to a more effective and responsive public administration in countries worldwide.
Keywords: United Nations Public Service Day, General Assembly, UNPSA, United Nations, UN Public Service Awards, United Nations Public Service Day 2021, United Nations Public Service Day 2021 theme