Global

From innovation hubs and policy experiments to regulatory sandboxes : Digital technologies carry a promise to fast track sustainable development by supporting innovative, forwarding-looking policies and digital government solutions. There are, however, numerous risks and complexities of frontier technologies that come along with those opportunities, as well as policy and regulatory challenges such as those related to inclusion, competition, privacy and security. To read more, click on the title/photo.

The 2030 Agenda recognizes that capacity in governments at all levels is critical to steer and support the transformations which it calls for. Thus, public servants at all levels of government need the capacity to successfully implement, follow up and review the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To read more, click on the title/photo.

Five years after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with one third of the implementation period of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals having elapsed, it is important to take stock of relevant institutional arrangements at the national level. Institutionalization of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs lays the foundation for their effective implementation. It also serves as an indicator of the degree to which the Agenda is prioritized and has buy-in from governments and other stakeholders. To read more, click on the title/photo.

This report builds a “5+1” evaluation model for global smart cities, and provides five quantitative indicators, namely smart infrastructure, smart economy, smart services, smart governance, and smart innovation, plus one qualitative indicator "smart reputation", a total of six dimensions of comparison, attempts to set a benchmark for global smart cities, and provides diversified solutions for the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDG 2030) proposed by the United Nations in 2015 as well. The results show that global smart cities can be divided into three levels: "leading", "advanced" and "following". London, New York and Singapore are in the leading position and the star cities in this ranking. They have maintained a leading position in almost every aspect of smart cities and have become role models for other cities around the world.

This report highlights the themes of "Smart Cities at The Epicenter of The Pandemic". It not only focuses on performance of global smart cities in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, but also adheres to the “Humanity, Technology and Sustainability” principle. Using the “5+1” evaluation model for global smart cities, which includes five quantitative indicators, namely smart infrastructure, smart economy, smart services, smart governance, and smart innovation, plus one qualitative indicator "smart reputation", the report shows that global smart cities can be divided into three levels: "leading", "advanced" and "following". Some excellent cases in global cities dealing with coronavirus are presented in the final chapter.

Innovations in Governance in the Middle East, North Africa, and Western Balkans: Making Governments Work Better in the Mediterranean region leads us through the journey of innovation by analysing the challenges and opportunities that governments in this region have faced to improve their public administration systems. All the innovations highlighted in this publication are significant – whether the innovation is large or small, in one government institution or across the board, a successful transformation or merely a small, first step on the way to reform – they indicate each country’s willingness to change, to be open to new ways of thinking and acting in reforming government.

This publication emerged from the presentations, discussions, and conclusions of nine capacity development workshops, which examined the theme of participatory and transparent governance as part of the 6th Global Forum on Reinventing Government. In May 2005, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) organized these workshops in cooperation with the Institutional Partners Group (IPG), which comprises members of the UN system and external organizations. The Government of the Republic of Korea hosted the Forum with the support of UNDESA.

In its endeavour to support Member States in the area of ICT for development, the United Nations Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) organized an Expert Group Meeting on E-Participation and E-Government: Understanding the Present and Creating the Future from 27-28 July 2006 in Budapest, Hungary. The Meeting was organized as part of the ‘International E-participation and Local Democracy Symposium on Promoting Social Inclusion via E-participation, hosted by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, United Kingdom. The UNDESA Meeting on E-Participation and E-Government: Understanding the Present and Creating the Future provided an opportunity to review e-participation and e-government experiences, determine the strengths and weaknesses of the initiatives, and search for options and methodologies that may support a more inclusive e-government approach.

This publication is intended for policy makers, scholars and practitioners who have a keen interest in concrete solutions to governance challenges. Its purpose is to encourage more women and men in the public sector who are working hard to improve citizens’ lives to share with the world their innovations by applying to the United Nations Public Service Awards Programme which is held annually; to recognize the efforts of those who have already won this prestigious Awards by showcasing their successful practices; and to provide UN Member States interested in innovation in governance with useful information and knowledge about practices that have worked on the ground.