The Organizing Committee of the United Nations Public Service Forum (UNPSF) 2013 announced that 600 delegates representing 94 countries from across the world will attend the global event to be held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa from June 24th to 27th 2013 in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The event is being held in conjunction with eGovernment Authority and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA).
The Organizing Committee said that high-level international and Arabian official delegations will take part, and the attendees will be head of states, Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers, Vice Prime Ministers, along with leading figures, policymakers, practitioners, experts, professionals, scholars and those interested in the area of public service, e-governance, administrative development and information technology, innovators in governance, representatives on behalf of international and regional organizations, the academia, non-profit organizations and the private sector.
The Committee announced the events program to be held in parallel with the key event. The forum’s official opening is scheduled for 24th June with the participation of Heads of States and senior government officers at the Bahrain National Theater which will feature the forum’s early events, and senior officers will be speakers at the opening ceremony. This event will provide a platform for discussions and interaction between participants. Two plenary sessions will be held on the first day.
On the 25th and 26th June the event will take place in the Bahrain International Circuit, including seven workshops and two special meetings: One will discuss the partnership for innovation in public governance, along with a special meeting about essential leadership capacities and actions to promote transformational government.
The last day of the event will be held at the Bahrain National Theater on the 27th June with the United Nations Public Service Awards Ceremony, along with the findings and recommendations discussed and agreed upon during the ministerial roundtable attended by 30 ministers with the final communiqué.
Following the opening speeches, the first day of the forum will tackle interactive dialogues with senior officers. The first session will focus on the critical role of innovation in public governance for the promotion of social inclusive development. The second session will address transformative eGovernment and Innovation: Empowering People for Inclusive Economic Growth and environment protection.
Workshops will be held on the 2nd and 3rd days of the forum, in parallel with closed expert group meeting addressing the innovative ideas and practical tools to promote the post-2015 development agenda organized by UNDESA/DPADM, and the workshop will address several themes such as entrepreneurship, leadership and environment.
The first workshop will discuss the issue of promoting collaborative egovernance through innovation and technology organized by UNDESA/DPADM, the second workshop on transfer and adaptation of innovative practices for improved public service delivery in the least developed countries will be organized by UNDESA/DPADM. The third workshop will explore the theme of fostering Participation in the context of Post-2015 development agenda, jointly organized by DPADM and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).
The fourth workshop will be revolved around transforming public service delivery to advance gender equality, organized by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN WOMEN). The fifth workshop is about creating on enabling environment for entrepreneurship and economic development through Innovation and egovernment organized by UNIDO and Bahrain Institution for Public Administration. The sixth workshop entitled GCC Initiatives Towards eGovernment and Sustainable Public Services will be organized by the Bahrain eGovernment Authority, in conjunction with the GCC eGovernments in which the GCC egovernment CEOs will showcase the experience of the GCC States and their way forward to develop the eGovernment, and set up a standard network and electronic portal for the GCC States. In addition to the seventh workshop which will focus on the leadership for transformational government.
In coordination with Ministry of Culture, the forum’s organizing Committee made a comprehensive program for attendees who will be given the chance to explore the Kingdom of Bahrain by visiting the main attractions, getting exposed to the rich history and heritage of Bahrain such as Bahrain National Museum, Bahrain Fort, and bab-albahrain. Folkloric shows inspired from Bahrain’s heritage will be organized ,and aspects of modernization witnessed by the Kingdom in all areas and levels will be discussed, and participants will learn about modern facilities such as Bahrain International Circuit that hosts formula I Bahrain Grand Prix ,and the leadership position and financial hub that Bahrain occupies, enhanced by an economic infrastructure in support of an investment climate mingled with an atmosphere of freedom and openness.
Bahrain’s national carrier, Gulf Air, will support the United Nations Public Service Forum 2013 as the official carrier for the participants of the international event.
The United Nations Public Service Forum 2013 is one of the most important global gatherings revolving around the achievements, and challenges of public service.
The United Nations Public Service Awards is the most prestigious international recognition of excellence in the area of eServices as it rewards public service institutions, and milestone projects from around the globe that have made contributions in the development of public services . The Kingdom of Bahrain became the fourth country in the world and the first in the Middle East to host and organize such forum outside the UN premises in New York – since its launch ten years ago.
The event was announced after finalizing the official agreement between eGovernment Authority CEO Mohammed Ali Al Qaed and the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOG) Director Haiyan Qian, during their meeting in December 2012 in New York City about the details of the event to be held in the Kingdom of Bahrain.