United Nations Economic and Social Council- Committee of Experts on Public Administration

Return to International Public Service

The Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) was established under the aegis of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2001, and is responsible for supporting the work of ECOSOC concerning the promotion and development of public administration and governance among Member States, in connection with the UN Millennium Development Goals. CEPA comprises 24 members, who meet annually in their own capacity, at UN Headquarters in New York. They do not represent their individual countries and are selected based on their expertise.
 
ECOSOC is one of the six main organs of the United Nations established by the UN Charter in 1946. It is the principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as for implementation of the internationally agreed development goals.  Its resolution 1199 (XLII) of 24 May 1967 requested the Secretary-General to elaborate specific objectives and programs in the field of public administration, in close collaboration with the specialized agencies and relevant non-governmental organizations. It also decided that the United Nations Program in Public Administration and Finance should be reviewed by a meeting of experts who should submit their report to the Council for consideration.
 
In subsequent resolutions, the Council invited the Secretary-General to convene meetings of the Group of Experts on the United Nations Program in Public Administration and Finance and assigned the Group guidelines, including:

• an examination of trends in public administration and finance at local, national, regional and transnational levels
• a review of issues and priorities in public administration and finance for development, particularly with focus on developing countries, least developed countries and countries in and post-crisis
• an account of the progress achieved in implementing the relevant provisions of the United Nations Development Agenda (from a public administration perspective)