Initiatives awarded advance gender equality, fight climate change
and foster innovation in public service delivery

21 June 2024 - Fifteen initiatives from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Germany, Indonesia, Jordan, Latvia, Portugal, Republic of Korea, South Africa, Tanzania and Thailand will be recognized at the UN Public Service Awards Ceremony, to be held at the conclusion of the on 26 June.

Co-organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea, the Forum will take place in Incheon, Republic of Korea from 24 to 26 June 2024.

Out of 400 applications from 73 countries, 15 ground-breaking initiatives are being awarded this year. A programme training women victims of violence to construction work in Brazil; a German portal of information on the qualifications foreign professionals have received abroad; a vulnerability index to assess climate risks in Indonesia; a policy to prevent digital sex crimes in the Republic of Korea; a  project to help bridge digital divides and connect citizens to online services in South Africa; a pandemic response project that analyses wastewater to track disease spread– these are just some of bold innovations to be honoured at this year’s event.

All of this year’s awardees have implemented new solutions to provide services to people, while advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Winning initiatives also leveraged ICT and digital government to respond to multiple global challenges and enhance the capabilities of public administrations across the world. 

The 2024 UN Public Service Awards Ceremony will be hosted by Mr. Li Junhua, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, following the UN Public Service Day held on 24 June.

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In the “Innovation” category:

  • Intermediation Center for Sign Language, S?o Paulo City Hall, Brazil (Award winner)
  • BQ Portal for Foreign Professional Qualifications, Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Germany (Award winner)
  • Unified Portal for Draft Legal Acts, State Chancellery, Latvia (Award Winner)
  • Citizen-centric Digital Transformation, Western Cape Government, South Africa (Award winner)
  • Academic Insight for Pandemic Response, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand (Award winner)
  • User Experience Improvement in Care Blocks, High District Counseling Office for ICT, Colombia (Honorable Mention)
  • Manabí 2030 Collaborative Innovation, Provincial Government of Manabí, Ecuador (Honorable Mention)
  • E-Feedback initiative, E-Government Authority, Tanzania (Honorable Mention)

In the “Gender Equality” category:

  • Digital Sex Crime Comprehensive Response Policy, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Republic of Korea (Award Winner)
  • Marias in Construction, Salvador City Hall, Brazil (Honorable Mention)
  • Outreach Service for Maternal Care and Stunted Children, Semarang City Government, Indonesia (Honorable Mention)
  • Equality Defence Action Plan, Ministry of National Defence, Portugal (Honorable Mention)

In the “Climate Action” category:

  • Vulnerability Index Data Information System, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia (Award winner)
  • Improving Living Conditions in Amman, Amman Municipality, Jordan (Award winner)
  • SEE H2O, Loures Municipality, Portugal (Award winner)

About the Award

The UN Public Service Awards recognize excellence in public service delivery and reward the creative achievements and contributions of public administrations worldwide. Since the first edition in 2003, over 300 initiatives have been awarded. Learn more about the programme at  and explore the winning initiatives in .