Virtual Celebration of the 2021 United Nations…

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. The day also provides an opportunity to recognize the work of public service innovation through the Annual UN Public Service Awards Programme.

To celebrate the 2021 United Nations Public Service Day, the Division of Public Institutions and Digital Government of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in collaboration with the government of the United Arab Emirates will host a 1.5-hour virtual event on the 23 June under the theme of "Innovating the Future Public Service: New Government Models for a New Era to Reach the SDGs". The event will bring together key stakeholders, public servants and UN officials to honor the work of public servants.

The event will highlight and discuss the increasingly centric role that innovation and technology play in the delivery of public services and in doing so, examine how to better prepare the future public service for a new era, so as to reach the 2030 sustainable development goals. It will examine the various approaches countries are taking to equip public servants with the skills necessary to be effective, responsive and relevant in the digital age. It will also highlight lessons learned from the past year, as many countries and public servants have been thrust into the digital era, quickly adopting, innovating and using online mechanisms to continue their work during the pandemic.