Participants from 70 countries have exchanged views on challenges and lessons learned on how to promote effective institutions and sustainable recovery from Covid-19 pandemic. The Symposium was held in online format and dedicated to the issues of effective, inclusive and accountable public institutions and digital government transformation for resilient recovery and the SDG implementation.
At the opening ceremony of the event, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Minister of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea Mr. Chin Young, Mayor of the Incheon Metropolitan City of the Republic of Korea Mr. Namchoon Park made their welcoming speeches. As special keynote speakers were invited 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations Mr. Ban Ki-moon and Minister of State and Public Administration of People’s Republic of Bangladesh Mr. Farhad Hossain.
Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Astana Civil Service Hub Mr. Alikhan Baimenov, while speaking at the one of the Symposium’s sessions devoted to partnerships and capacity development to implement the SDGs and building resilient societies, noted that “resilience strengthening has become a key focus nowadays. In addition to the characteristics required for governments to meet the VUCA world challenges, the pandemic has created a new reality and once again revealed the key role of public institutions”. He also mentioned that the pandemic period has emphasized the importance of the psychological facet. “It is more important than ever to give high priority to the workspace environment. Thus, along with technology, great attention should be paid to leadership and HR policies in the system of public administration.”
The sessions’ speakers voiced the importance of effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions for well-coordinated responses and containment of the socio-economic impact of the pandemic, as well as the critical role of innovation and digital solutions in business continuity and for delivering essential public services in times of crisis. The speakers also mentioned that leadership, regional cooperation and digital economy are key elements in building resilience and overcoming the disruptions caused by a recent pandemic.
The event has shown a great interest from government agencies and international institutions, gathering over 450 participants from 70 countries around the world.
The Symposium was organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG) through its Project Office on Governance (UNPOG) in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) of the Government of the Republic of Korea.
