UN Public Service Day honours employees of member governments

Calling on all countries to review the working conditions of their public service, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today stressed that sound good public administration is vital to promoting democratic governance and to reaching global antipoverty goals.

In an address to mark UN Public Service Day 2004, delivered by Assistant Secretary-General Patrizio Civili, Mr. Annan said "weak governance, or corrupted public services…not only serve as an obstacle to development, but also squander precious resources and undermine the ethical fibre of society."

The best public servants give outstanding service to their public, sometimes under severe hardship and strain, and may "receive salaries that barely enable them to make ends meet," Mr. Annan said.

"I appeal to all countries to review the working conditions of their public service and put in place the compensation and incentives that will reward honest, hard-working, public servants and, most importantly, attract new talent for the future," he said.

The UN gave 10 public service awards to government agencies or departments from around the world. They were Austria, Australia, Brazil (two prizes), Cameroon, Canada, Malaysia, Morocco, Philippines and South Africa.