Ms. Marion Barthelemy, Director of the Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) in the UN Department of Economics and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and Professor Pan Suk Kim, President of the Asian Association for Public Administration (AAPA) signed an MOU to promote possible collaborations for mutual benefits on June 2, 2017. Particularly, DPADM and AAPA will cooperate in the implementation of the United Nations Public Administration Network (UNPAN). The UNPAN's purpose is to create an electronic virtual network to exchange expertise and share experiences and lessons learned in the area of public economics, administration and finance, with a view to facilitate capacity-building through utilization of modern technology in the countries of Asia.

The Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) was entrusted by the General Assembly in late 1999 to develop and implement the programme “United Nations Public Administration Network (UNPAN)" (originally referred to as the United Nations Online Network in Public Administration and Finance). UNPAN is designed to help countries, especially developing countries and countries in economic transition, to respond to the challenges that governments face in achieve their national development goals and the internationally agreed development goals including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

* Many thanks go to Professor Bok Gyo Jeong and Ms. Nosipho Dhladhla for their coordinating efforts.