UN DESA Policy Brief No. 136: Promoting non-discrimination in public administration: some entry points

Promoting non-discrimination in public administration: some entry points

Key messages

Public administration can both serve as a vehicle for discrimination and provide channels to address it.
Research is needed, in particular from developing countries, on the nature and extent of discrimination by public administration and how it occurs in order to inform consideration of entry points to prevent and end it.
The promotion of non-discrimination needs to be formally mainstreamed throughout public administration. Various entry points should be pursued in a harmonized way. This brief examines a limited selection: citizens’ charters, public procurement, positive duties, institutional culture, artificial intelligence, workforce diversity, schools of public administration, and public audits.
The attention to non-discrimination, inclusion and participation in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development can be leveraged to bolster action by public administration in these areas.