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The Committee of Experts on Public Administration held its twenty-third session at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 15 to 19 April 2024. The theme of the session was “New governance insights to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and eradicate poverty” while promoting the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions in alignment with the 2024 theme of the Economic and Social Council and the high-level political forum on sustainable development.
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The Committee highlighted five urgently needed transformative actions: anchoring the Sustainable Development Goals in the public discourse as a policy framework for the future; promoting sustainability through national budgets to increase public trust; investing in changing mindsets in the public sector; applying the principles of effective governance for sustainable development; and closing gaps in awareness of the Goals and of their importance at all levels.
Continuing its work on the application of the principles of effective governance, the Committee noted that implementing the principle of leaving no one behind required a deep understanding of its significance in any given context, the identification and mapping of vulnerable groups and the development of integrated, people-centred strategies that take into account the needs and aspirations of all segments of society as a matter of priority. This further called for inclusive, targeted interventions that engage all relevant stakeholders in addition to equity-based, responsive laws and policies that address systemic inequalities, discrimination and exclusion, based on existing good practices.
On institutions, climate action and environment, the Committee noted that years of large catastrophe losses due to more frequent and severe climate-related weather events had led to insurance coverage gaps in many countries, with devastating impacts for Governments and individuals, especially vulnerable groups. Increased collaboration between governments and the insurance industry was required, paired with accelerated regulation and reform, to better mitigate the risks associated with climate change. Enhancing the capacity of Governments at all levels to analyse risks, incentivize investments in resilience, prevention, and rehabilitation, and explore the development of tailored financing mechanisms, including parametric approaches to insurance, was seen as urgent.
The Committee emphasized the potential benefits of artificial intelligence as well as challenges, risks, and ethical concerns in its use. Governments have a particularly important role to play in governance of the technology, both as regulators and users. Together with the relevant entities and forums of the United Nations system and others engaged in the global dialogue on this issue, Governments could usefully identify guiding principles and policy priorities for the regulation and use of artificial intelligence by the public sector so that the diffusion of the technology reinforces implementation of the 2030 Agenda and leaves no one behind.
Pointing to the trend of declining public trust, the Committee stressed that increased efficiency and effectiveness of fiscal management could have a substantial bearing on improving public perceptions of government. An integrated strategic approach to fiscal institution building and financial processes should be employed for the greatest impact. To advance the Goals at a time of multiple crises, the Committee stressed the need for improvements in strategic public procurement, financial oversight, budget credibility, digitalization of public financial management and management of emergency funding to increase efficiency, transparency and public trust in many countries.
The Committee also called for sustaining the momentum of innovation in the public sector prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, while elaborating on the need for comprehensive human resources development strategies premised on national development objectives, a change of mindsets in the public sector, raising awareness of the Goals, promoting public sector workforce diversity, and building the human resource capacities of subnational authorities. Investing and building capacities in emerging areas, such as artificial intelligence, could encourage young professionals to join the public sector and motivate and retain them once hired.
The Committee underscored that strengthening public financial management frameworks in fragile and conflict-affected countries to accelerate poverty eradication in all its forms could help rebuild public trust and manage long-term financial stressors so that short-term and medium-term gains in peacebuilding and sustainable development could be secured and deepened. Sounder public financial management practices and improved capacities, including greater budget credibility, while difficult to implement in such settings, were essential to prevent socioeconomic tensions from reaching a tipping point, while targeting multidimensional poverty and preventing more people from falling into poverty.
Lastly, the Committee facilitated a peer exchange among voluntary national review countries (Azerbaijan, Malawi, Romania, and Sierra Leone) and voluntary local review cities (Tokyo, Japan; and São Paulo, Brazil) on institutional aspects of Goals 16 and 17. It also held a dedicated consultation with observers.
The Committee concluded its session by adopting a draft resolution and a draft decision for the consideration of the Economic and Social Council. The Committee also revisited and reaffirmed its contribution to the 2024 high-level political forum on sustainable development.