United Nations Public Service Day 2023

Date: Friday, 23 June 2023; 21^st Anniversary.

Sponsor: United Nations  

Coordinator: United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNESC)

Objectives:

United Nations Public Service Day is annually celebrated for the following purposes:

1. to celebrate the value and virtue of public service to the community.
2. to highlight the contribution of public service in the development process and recognize the work of public servants.
3. to promote efficient, accountable, effective, and transparent public administration at both the national and international levels. 
4. to strengthen public sector’s administrative and managerial capacity-building, particularly in developing countries and countries with economies in transition.

Inception:

The first United Nations Public Service Day was celebrated on June 23, 2003.

History

On 20 December 2002, the United Nations General Assembly officially designated 23 June as “Public Service Day” in the resolution A/RES/57/277. The resolution encouraged the Member States to organize special events on the day to highlight the contribution of public service in the development process.

The date of June 23^rd was chosen to mark the anniversary of the Convention on Labor Relations (Public Service), adopted by the International Labor Organization in 1978 (No. 151). This convention is a framework determining working conditions of all civil servants across the world.

About the United Nations Public Service Awards program

In 2003, the United Nations Economic and Social Council established the UN Public Service Awards (UNPSA) program to promote and reward innovation and excellence in public services. The awards are bestowed to outstanding organizations or institutions to reward and recognize their achievements and contributions that lead to a more effective and responsive public administration in countries worldwide. 

Each year, the winners are announced in a ceremony on the United Nations Public Service Day. The winners of these awards are divided into five regional groups, including Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Latin American and the Caribbean, and Western Asia. More than 250 initiatives have received the prestigious award. 

In 2016, the UN Public Service Awards (UNPSA) programme was reviewed to align with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Annual theme in recent years:

2023 theme: To be announced.

2022 theme: “Building back better from COVID-19: Enhancing innovative partnerships to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.”

2021 theme: “Innovating the Future Public Service: New Government Models for a New Era to Reach the SDGs.”

Official website: https://www.un.org/en/observances/public-service-day