Report of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration on Its 24th Session

E/RES/2025/31View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A document of the Economic and Social Council, under agenda item 19f Public administration and development, published in 2025.

What other versions does this mandate have?

15 versions · 2008–2025

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2025	E/RES/2025/31	Report of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration on its 24th session	1,851	33%Compare
2021	E/RES/2021/12	Report of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration on its 20th session	1,548	73%Compare
2020	E/RES/2020/21	Report of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration on its 19th session	1,620	62%Compare
2019	E/RES/2019/26	Report of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration on its 18th session	1,374	40%Compare
2018	E/RES/2018/12	Report of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration on its 17th session	2,391	39%Compare

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

3 entities

(Sub-)Programme	Title	Total mandates cited
Subprogramme 7	Institutions and digital transformation	22
Subprogramme 9	Planning and public management for development	6
Subprogramme 6	Governance and conflict prevention	7

Historical expenditure covers the complete programme or subprogramme, not this mandate. For an overview of all UN entities and programmes, see UN entities and programmes.

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

3 entities

(Sub-)Programme	Title	Total mandates cited	Expenditure
Subprogramme 7	Institutions and digital transformation	22	—
Subprogramme 9	Planning and public management for development	6	—
Subprogramme 6	Governance and conflict prevention	7	—

Historical expenditure covers the complete programme or subprogramme, not this mandate. For an overview of all UN entities and programmes, see UN entities and programmes.

What subjects does this mandate have?

6 subjects

Development Policy Governance Poverty Mitigation Public Administration Resilience Sustainable Development

What’s in this document?

26 operative paragraphs

Takes note of the report of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration on its twenty-fourth session,⁴ and expresses its appreciation for the work done by the Committee on 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;

⁴Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2025, Supplement No. 24 (E/2025/44).

Invites the Committee to continue to place the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the centre of its work and to continue to advise the Council on how public administrations can support the implementation and progress reviews of the Sustainable Development Goals;

Welcomes the contribution of the Committee to the high-level political forum, reaffirms that the principle of leaving no one behind should be a core principle of public administration, and takes note of the five key transformative actions recommended by the Committee to accelerate progress towards the Goals, referred to as the pentagram of action;⁵

⁵See E/C.16/2025/2.

Governance and institutional perspectives on advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals

Recognizes that the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at a time of multiple, interlinked global challenges and the disruption of basic features of globalization urgently requires both short-term and long-term improvements in public policymaking based on effective governance for sustainable development, as well as a steadfast commitment to promoting peaceful, just and inclusive societies;

Encourages Governments to integrate a long-term vision of society into their planning, monitoring and reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals and into their voluntary national reviews of progress towards 2030, and to address the complex problems underlying crises in a holistic manner, ensuring that crisis management does not hinder the continuous implementation of the Goals;

Urges Governments to reinforce action on commitments to the 2030 Agenda and promote the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions, inter alia, by systematically incorporating assessments of the social, environmental and economic impacts of public policy in all areas of decision-making, strengthening multilevel governance strategies and actions in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals, and redoubling efforts to promote awareness of the Goals within the context of national sustainable development plans across the whole of government and the whole of society;

Encourages public institutions at all levels to promote inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals, inter alia, through an urgent shift towards comprehensive systems thinking and action, closing gaps in systematic analysis of interactions across policy domains, strengthening the conditions that enable scientists to conduct high-quality, independent research and effectively engage in policy processes, and promoting transformational leadership that emphasizes coalition-building, social values and high ethical standards;

Recognizes that accelerating the delivery of the 2030 Agenda at all levels calls for more integrated solutions to achieve the vision and Goals of the 2030 Agenda as well as a capable State at all levels, and encourages countries to design and implement integrated national institution-building strategies that address important capability gaps across the whole of government;

Expresses concern at the limited capacity to foresee and build resilience against the diverse challenges originating from multiple shocks in many countries, and calls for a rapid upgrade of anticipatory governance and risk management functions in government and their integration into Sustainable Development Goal-related coordination mechanisms at the highest level;

Emphasizes that effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda requires strengthened multilateral cooperation based on solidarity, shared responsibility and mutual accountability, particularly in the light of increasing transboundary risks and global interconnectedness, and calls for increased efforts to support national and international peer exchanges and peer learning on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and effective governance for sustainable development, including through cooperation with existing international networks;

Reiterates that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development, and encourages Governments to strengthen efforts to build inclusive institutions that promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all segments of society and to reduce inequalities through holistic, people-centred policies and interventions that address the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable as a matter of priority;

Reaffirms the need for pragmatic ongoing improvements in national and subnational governance capabilities to achieve the 2030 Agenda and other international agreements, and encourages governments at all levels to apply the principles of effective governance for sustainable development,⁶ endorsed by the Council in its resolution 2018/12 of 2 July 2018, to all public institutions and in support of the implementation of all Sustainable Development Goals, taking into account different governance structures, national and subnational realities, capacities and levels of development and respecting national policies and priorities;

⁶Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2018, Supplement No. 24 (E/2018/44), chap. III, sect. B, para. 31.

Encourages the Committee to continue to identify and review related technical guidelines and experiences to operationalize the principles at the national and subnational levels, including from sectoral perspectives, and to further engage the relevant United Nations organizations, regional organizations and professional and academic communities in this regard, in an inclusive manner, together with all relevant stakeholders;

Notes with appreciation the work of the United Nations development system on strengthening governance systems in the transformation to sustainable development and to addressing interlinkages, synergies and trade-offs among the Sustainable Development Goals, enhancing policy coherence for sustainable development;

Notes with concern that many Governments are insufficiently equipped to respond to extreme heat events, which are placing increasing pressure on lives, livelihoods and infrastructure in many countries, and encourages governments at the national and subnational levels to provide institutional and policy support to mitigate the effects of extreme heat and promote adaptation efforts, with an emphasis on protecting those in vulnerable situations, including women, children, older persons and displaced persons, and those residing in densely populated urban areas;

Recognizes that supreme audit institutions have an important role to play in ensuring transparency and accountability of artificial intelligence systems in public administration, and encourages the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions to establish clear ethical and operational guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence systems by its members, assist less advanced supreme audit institutions in building artificial intelligence applications, and develop common approaches to auditing artificial intelligence use in public administration;

Encourages Governments, especially in view of stronger budget pressures, to take a comprehensive approach to public financial management reform, accelerate action to increase transparency and equal participation in and oversight of the budgeting process, establish transparent and sustainable public procurement frameworks as a strategic tool to reinforce sustainable development and curb corrupt practices, strengthen budget credibility, and ensure proper use and oversight of emergency funding in a transparent and accountable manner;

Also encourages Governments to embed commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals in budgetary and financial processes at the national and subnational levels by adopting practices to monitor, report on and evaluate the use of public financial resources in support of the Goals, such as reorganizing budgets, based on programmes and activities, and mapping and tracking budgetary contributions to each Goal, as appropriate;

Recognizes that a dedicated and skilled public sector workforce is required for Governments to perform a broad spectrum of functions and deliver public services in line with national sustainable development plans and objectives, and encourages national planners, civil service commissions, human resources departments and others to take steps to align workforce capacities and skills with evolving needs, attract and retain public sector workers of all ages and backgrounds across government and in diverse occupational groups, while promoting geographical and gender balance, and to promote a wide-ranging social dialogue among all stakeholders with a view to reinforcing a core motivation of public sector workers and accelerating delivery of the 2030 Agenda;

Takes note of the 2025 revision to the standards of excellence for public administration education and training, and invites schools and institutes of public administration to update their curricula to reflect new developments in public administration, inter alia, based on a commitment to public service values, mainstreaming the principles of effective governance for sustainable development and promoting digital transformation;

Notes with deep concern the impact of widespread mental health challenges in post-conflict countries on effective governance for sustainable development and the delivery of public services, and encourages Governments to integrate effective and inclusive responses to the mental health and psychosocial support needs of individuals in local and community-based efforts, as appropriate;

Follow-up

Requests the Committee, at its twenty-fifth session, to be held from 13 to 17 April 2026, to examine and make recommendations on the theme of the 2026 session of the Council and the 2026 high-level political forum and to contribute to the review of the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 16, giving particular attention to the cross-cutting nature of all the Goals;

Invites the Committee to continue to advise on approaches and practices related to the institutions, policies and arrangements to promote the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, bearing in mind that the specific contexts and situations of countries differ widely, as well as to advise on making institutions resilient, effective, accountable and inclusive;

Requests the Secretary-General to take the present resolution fully into account in the work of the Organization, inter alia, in addressing gaps in research and analysis and in responding to the capacity-development needs of Member States for building resilient, effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels in pursuit of the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals;

Also requests the Secretary-General to continue to promote and support innovation and excellence in public services for sustainable development through the United Nations Public Service Awards;

Further requests the Secretary-General to report on the implementation of and follow-up to the present resolution through the established working methods of the Committee.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

Governance and institutional perspectives on advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals

Follow-up

Table of contents

Who cites this mandate in the budget?