About UNDESA
We bring the global community together to work towards common solutions to the world's most pressing problems. We help countries translate their global commitments into national action in the economic, social and environmental spheres. UN DESA is a pioneer of sustainable development and the home of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where each goal finds its space and where all stakeholders can do their part to leave no one behind. We are a leading analytical voice for promoting inclusion, reducing inequalities and eradicating poverty, and a champion for tearing down the barriers that keep people in poverty.Activities by UNDESA
Guidebook to resources on AI strategies (supplement to the IATT Guidebook on STI roadmaps for the SDGs)
GlobalThis guidebook aims to provide government officials and development practitioners with a trusted, curated, and annotated list of written resources on the various aspects of AI to support STI roadmaps for the SDGs.
Activity Type Research/Reports/AssessmentsTechnical assistanceBeing a Public Servant in Namibia - The Pocket Guide
Africa, Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States MontenegroNamibia
“Being a Public Servant in Namibia: The Pocket Guide” is a groundbreaking, co-created suite of learning and governance tools developed by UNDP Namibia's Accelerator Lab, led by the Head of Experimentation, Yrika Maritz, in partnership with the Government of Namibia. Designed for the country’s largest workforce, approximately 125,000 public servants in a nation of 3 million people, the Pocket Guide modernises public service orientation, induction, strengthens ethical conduct, and improves access to staff rules and regulations.
The suite consists of three integrated elements:
1. The Pocket Guide & Handbook: Available in digital and printed formats for all public servants.
2. Nine Micro-Learning Modules: An onboarding curriculum introducing public servants to ethics, conduct, rules, the Public Service Charter, governance values, and everyday professionalism.
3. The Pocket Bot: A conversational AI trained on Namibia’s public service acts, regulations, staff rules, and administrative procedures, providing instant, accurate answers.
The Pocket Guide suite has strengthened Namibia’s public sector learning ecosystem by:
Making public service rules, regulations, and ethical standards accessible, understandable, and actionable.
Providing the first AI-powered Pocket Bot dedicated to Namibia’s public service, reducing information bottlenecks and enabling faster decision-making.
Enhancing induction across ministries through micro-learning modules that are short, practical, and accessible on any device.
Promoting culture change through co-creation, shared responsibility, and peer-led ethics conversations.
Improving the quality of service delivery by ensuring public servants have reliable, instant access to the principles that govern their work.
The solutions were co-created with the help of UNDP Namibia's IT Analyst, Dr Maria Ausiku, together the public service, bringing together more than 150 ethics and integrity champions, HR practitioners, and multidisciplinary teams from central government, regional councils, and local authorities. The process amplified collective intelligence and built ownership across the ecosystem.
Fast-evolving technologies in e-government: Government Platforms, Artificial Intelligence and people
Global Not ApplicableChapter 5 of the United Nations E-Government Survey 2022 discusses evolving technologies and new approaches in digital government, covering cognitive government, agile and adaptive government, and seamless government.
Activity Type Research/Reports/AssessmentsIEEE/UN Event series
Global Not ApplicableA training and outreach event on technology, policy, ethics, and engagement of AI and other new technologies, presented as a webinar series.
Activity Type Awareness/Advocacy