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The Committee of Experts on Public Administration held its twenty-fourth session at United Nations Headquarters in New York, from 7 to 11 April 2025. The theme of the session was “Governance and institutional perspectives on advancing sustainable, inclusive, science and evidence-based solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals” in alignment with the 2025 theme of the Economic and Social Council and the high-level political forum on sustainable development.
Report - Advance unedited draft
The Committee stressed that staying the course towards the Goals at times of polycrises, geo-political tensions, conflicts and wars, disruption of basic features of globalization, declining trust in government, resource strain and fast changing technology required an urgent shift of governments towards comprehensive systems thinking and action. Strengthening the conditions for scientists to conduct high-quality, independent research effectively was seen as pivotal.
Referring to the application of the principles of effective governance, the Committee emphasized that the transformation towards sustainable development called for urgent attention to questions of inclusion and equity in governance systems. This was particularly important as achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and leaving no one behind depended on the provision of substantive equality of opportunity for all across the three dimensions of sustainable development in a balanced and integrated manner.
Building on its previous work, the Committee studied ways of ensuring transparency and accountability of artificial intelligence systems in public administration. Various strategies were highlighted relating to the development of steering and oversight mechanisms, and establishment of safeguards to mitigate bias and protect fundamental rights. Supreme audit institutions could play an important role in this area by developing common approaches to auditing artificial intelligence use in public administration, among other actions.
Addressing shortcomings in sustainable public financial management was another area of concern. As no single initiative was likely to be sufficient to ensure the health of public finances on its own, the Committee recommended a comprehensive approach to public financial management reform. In light of multiple ongoing crises in many countries, the Committee drew particular attention to the need for the proper management of emergency funding and for limits on its use for non-emergency purposes.
The Committee reiterated that, in order for governments to be able to perform a broad spectrum of functions and deliver public services, a dedicated and skilled public sector workforce was required. This in turn called for various human resource strategies to attract and retain workers of all ages and backgrounds, including younger generations. Promotion of a wide-ranging social dialogue among all stakeholders could also help strengthen public sector responsiveness to the needs of society, thereby reinforcing a core motivation of public sector workers and accelerating delivery of the 2030 Agenda.
On institutions and climate action, the Committee emphasized that extreme heat and related events had become more frequent and more deadly due to the increase in global temperatures. Effective governance for extreme heat at all levels was required in response. This included strategies to prepare for and respond to such events, and to invest in energy resilience and adaptation. Enhancing collective resilience and responding to disparate mandates across institutions called for strengthened collaboration among policymakers and regulators, as well as academia, civil society and private sector actors.
The Committee underscored the impact of widespread mental health challenges in post-conflict countries on effective governance for sustainable development and the delivery of public services. Enhanced efforts by Governments to integrate effective and inclusive responses to the mental health and psychosocial support needs of individuals and communities in peacebuilding efforts were recommended, together with strengthening of mental health systems to reinforce long-term recovery.
Lastly, the Committee facilitated a peer exchange among voluntary national review countries (Brazil, Burkina Faso, Namibia, Zimbabwe) on institutional aspects of Sustainable Development 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 2025 high-level political forum on sustainable development.