Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.
UN FORUM 15 gov't institutions honored in 2024 UN Public Service Awards
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, third from left, poses with civic activists during an event to mark the first anniversary of the opening of the city-run support center for victims of digital sex crimes at Seoul Women's Plaza in Seoul, March 29, 2023. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
By Lee Hyo-jin
Yearly accomplishments shed light on innovative public service delivery around world
A total of 15 government and local authorities worldwide, including the Seoul Metropolitan Government, will be honored with the 2024 United Nations Public Service Awards (UNPSA) for their innovative public service delivery.
Launched in 2003, the annual awards promote effectiveness, transparency and inclusiveness to achieve the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It highlights the creative achievements and contributions of public institutions addressing the social, economic and environmental needs of society.
Throughout the past two decades, the awards have gathered more than 500 global initiatives, showcasing the vital role of public service innovation in promoting sustainable development and inclusivity.
This year's awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, the last day of the U.N. Public Service Forum, which Korea will host from Monday to Wednesday. The forum will be held in Songdo, Incheon, bringing together government officials and academia to discuss ways to transform and innovate the public sector, focusing on digital transformation and artificial intelligence.
The UNPSA organizers announced the list of winners, Sunday.
The awards will be presented in three categories — innovation in public institutions, gender-responsive public services and tackling climate change.
Below are 10 winners and five honorable mentions that have implemented new solutions to provide services to the public while advancing SDGs.
Innovations in public institutions
Sao Paulo City Hall in Brazil is among the five winners in the innovation in public institutions category, recognized for its Libras Intermediation Center (CIL), which helps deaf people communicate in Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) when accessing municipal public services.
Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action was awarded for its BQ-Portal, an online work and knowledge-sharing platform that pools relevant information on foreign professional qualifications and vocational training systems.
Additionally, Latvia's State Chancellery received an award for its unified portal for the development and agreement of draft legal acts. This e-government system manages draft legal acts from initial conception to adoption and provides a centralized platform for all government agencies and enables consultation of draft acts by stakeholders.
The Western Cape Government of South Africa was recognized for its citizen-centric digital transformation, which allows citizens to access government services through digital infrastructure projects like free public Wi-Fi hotspots and broadband at schools, libraries and hospitals.
Thailand's Chulalongkorn University, in collaboration with various government departments, was honored for its Academic Insight into Action for Pandemic Response, through which it managed to develop a new system for early detection of disease outbreaks based on wastewater analysis.
Three honorable mentions in this category include Colombia's High District Counseling Office for ICT's User Experience Improvement in Care Blocks, the Provincial Government of Manabi in Ecuador for Manabi 2030 Collaborative Innovations, and the e-Government Authority of Tanzania for e-Mrejesho, a platform that centralizes the process of receiving citizen complaints, inquiries and feedback.
Gender-responsive public services
The Seoul Metropolitan Government of Korea was the sole winner in the gender-responsive public services category. It gained recognition for its comprehensive policy to combat digital sex crimes, consisting of three specific strategies, including a one-stop support system for victims.
This initiative was launched in response to the "Nth Room" case revealed in March 2020, in which hundreds of women and girls were coerced into making sexually exploitative photos and videos sold to at least 60,000 people.
The comprehensive response plan consists of four stages: prevention via education and public campaigns, creation of an early intervention process for timely reporting and response, support for victims through counseling and recurrence prevention by providing counseling for perpetrators.
Three honorable mentions in this category are Salvador City Hall of Brazil for "Marias in Construction," which helps women who have been victims of violence enter the job market, focusing on civil construction; Indonesia's Semarang City Government for its innovative approach to equal rights for maternal and child health; and the Portuguese Ministry of National Defence's Action Plan, which institutionalizes a gender perspective within national defense.
Tackling climate change
Three winners were recognized in the special category of tackling climate change.
Indonesia's Ministry of Environment and Forestry was awarded for its Vulnerability Index Data Information System (SIDIK), which provides data and information on climate vulnerability and risks down to the village level throughout Indonesia.
Jordan's Greater Amman Municipality was honored for its urban regeneration project aimed at improving living conditions in disadvantaged areas in Amman. The project pilots the introduction of green infrastructure elements in selected sites in East Amman to enhance residents’ quality of life through community participation in the research, design, and management of the new or revived green infrastructure networks.
Portugal's Lousa Municipality received an award for its See H2O initiative, which implements a new vision for water management in an urban context. This municipal strategy aims to add value to water resources throughout the urban cycle in a town located on the periphery of Lisbon.