2024 UN Public Service Forum to kick off in Incheon next week

The 2024 United Nations Public Service Forum is slated to commence in Incheon from Monday to Wednesday, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

The event, titled "Fostering Innovation amid Global Challenges: a Public Sector Perspective," will gather international leaders to discuss and celebrate advancements in public service.

Held around United Nations Public Service Day, celebrated annually on June 23, the upcoming forum offers a platform for public administrators and professionals to convene, exchange experiences and build capacity in public administration and service delivery.

The forum will emphasize fostering innovation and transformation within the public sector. The goal is to enhance the capabilities of public administrations, making them more adaptive, anticipatory and responsive to development objectives amid complex global challenges.

For the first time in five years, the forum will be held face-to-face, following its 2019 forum held in Azerbaijan, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event is expected to draw over 2,000 participants from more than 100 countries, including government representatives, international organizations from U.N. member states, domestic and foreign experts and general attendees.

Through this forum, the government aims to support domestic companies' exports through digital government public relations and corporate exhibitions. Additionally, it seeks to expand international cooperation through bilateral talks with key countries and promote administrative innovation achievements to the public.

Former U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will deliver a keynote speech on the opening day of the forum. Additionally, it will also feature a plenary session on "The Future of Artificial Intelligence and Government" on the first day.

The second day of the event will feature a plenary session on "Activating Partnerships for Sustainable Development," followed by an urban policy tour of Incheon.

The final day will conclude with the declaration of the results of the 2024 U.N. Public Service Forum and a ministerial roundtable, followed by a public administration award ceremony.

Global figures, including David Green, former head of NASA's earth science department, and Sherzod Shermatov, Uzbekistan's Minister of Digital Technologies, will participate in the plenary sessions to discuss pertinent topics.

The ministerial roundtable will gather ministers and vice ministers from various countries and international organizations to present the forum's outcomes and articulate key messages, including implementation measures.

On Wednesday, the final day of the event, the U.N. Public Service Awards will recognize 15 outstanding administrative cases across three categories for their innovative public service delivery.

Throughout the event, an exhibition hall on the second floor of Songdo Convensia in Incheon will feature a U.N. zone and a Korean zone. Additionally, there will be a cultural experience exhibition space, including booths promoting Korean tourism, hands-on activities and tea ceremony demonstrations.

"We hope this forum will serve as an opportunity to spread the best practices of Korea’s public administration to the international community and to publicize the results of administrative innovation to the public," said Jung Young-joon, head of the planning and coordination office of the interior ministry.