The Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG) of the UNDESA, through its Project Office on Governance (UNPOG), in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Korea organized the annual Symposium for the Asia-Pacific region for the purpose of strengthening the capacity of the public administration and promoting innovation for advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SAMOA Pathway recognized the specific challenges faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and their particular vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. The 2030 Agenda pledges to "Leave No One Behind" and calls for special attention to SIDS as they face unique vulnerabilities in their sustainable development. Several countries among SIDS have started to implement the SDGs by adapting the targets to their national situation and reviewing their policies and institutional frameworks.

UNITAR teamed up with the Governments of Colombia and Spain, ECLAC, UNDP and UNDESA to hold a Latin American learning conference on the holistic implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, from 30 October to 1 November 2017. The Conference for more than 70 participants featured strategic thinking sessions with the participation of several Ministers of Planning from the region and international and regional experts from the UN family, and a session with the private sector representatives.

The 2017 UN Public Service Forum concluded on 23 June with a ceremony during which Awards were given for excellence and innovation by local, national and regional governments.

UNPOG provided support to the UNDSD/UNOSD Executive Training Course for Policymakers on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs which took place in Incheon, Republuc of Korea from 24 to 28 April 2017. 

The Committee of Experts on Public Administration held its sixteenth session at the United Nations in New York from 24 to 28 April 2017. Its theme was “Ensuring effective implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals: leadership, action and means”. A key message of the session was that government and public institutions have the leading role to implement the SDGs and pursue policies to leave no one behind.

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), through its Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) supported by its Project Office on Governance (UNPOG), organized a workshop titled “Transforming Public Institutions for Effective Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” during the Global Forum on Government Innovation, which was being organized by the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), Republic of Korea, on 9-10 November 2016 in Busan, Korea.

The Committee of Experts on Public Administration held its fifteenth session at the United Nations in New York from 18 to 22 April 2016. The main subject of discussion was transforming public institutions for integrated and inclusive policy making and review of the SDGs. The Committee decided to firmly place the SDGs at the centre of its work, with particular attention to Goal 16.

The Symposium on the “Promotion of an inclusive and accountable public administration for sustainable development”, which took place from 16 to 17 March 2016 in Cochabamba, Bolivia, was organized by the Government of Plurinational State of Bolivia, together with the Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA), in cooperation with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the Group of States against Corruption of the Council of Europe (GRECO) co-organized a joint side event on "Building Transparent, Accountable and Inclusive Institutions" in the context of the Special Session of the General Assembly (UNGASS) Against Corruption 2021. The side event took place on Wednesday, June 2, 2021 and, was held virtually via Zoom.