Skopje, 23 June 2026

ReSPA joined public administration leaders, government representatives, and international partners in Skopje to mark the United Nations Public Service Day, celebrated this year under the theme “Trust, Integrity and Results: Foundations of a Modern and European Public Administration.”

Organized by the Ministry of Public Administration of North Macedonia, the event brought together high-level officials from across the Western Balkans and the European Union to discuss how public administrations can strengthen citizens’ trust, uphold integrity, and deliver meaningful results through reform, innovation, and regional cooperation.

The celebration opened with addresses by Prof. Dr. Hristijan Mickoski, Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia, Goran Minchev, Minister of Public Administration, and Stephen Hudolin, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation, who emphasized the importance of professional, accountable, and citizen-oriented public administrations in advancing democratic governance and European integration.

As a long-standing regional platform for public administration cooperation and learning, ReSPA played a central role in the event’s flagship panel discussion, bringing together senior public administration leaders from the region and Europe to exchange experiences and perspectives on building administrations that deliver for citizens.

The panel, titled “Trust, Integrity and Results in Practice: How to Build a Delivering Administration,” was moderated by Rozalija Karchicka-Vasilevska, ReSPA Programme Manager, who guided the discussion on the key ingredients of effective governance, institutional credibility, and public service excellence.

The discussion featured Goran Minchev, Minister of Public Administration of North Macedonia; Snežana Paunović, Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government of Serbia; Nina Blažić, Deputy Minister of Public Administration of Montenegro; Francesco Leone, Diplomatic Advisor at the Italian Ministry for Public Administration; and Jelena Mrdak, Ad Interim Director of ReSPA.

Throughout the discussion, participants highlighted that trust is earned through consistent delivery of quality public services, while integrity remains the cornerstone of effective institutions. Panelists also emphasized the importance of leadership, digital transformation, professional development, and cross-border cooperation in meeting citizens’ expectations and ensuring sustainable reform.

Speaking from a regional perspective, Jelena Mrdak, Ad Interim Director of ReSPA, underlined that public administration reform is most successful when administrations learn from one another and jointly address common challenges. She emphasized ReSPA’s commitment to supporting Western Balkan administrations through capacity development, peer learning, knowledge sharing, mobility programmes, and regional networks that bring public servants closer to European administrative practices and standards: “Partnership is not an addition to reform - it is how reform succeeds. We move faster when we share experience openly, learn from both successes and mistakes, and connect regional knowledge with European standards.”

The panel reaffirmed the value of regional cooperation as a driver of administrative modernization and highlighted the importance of platforms such as ReSPA in facilitating dialogue, exchanging practical solutions, and strengthening the capacities of public institutions across the Western Balkans.

Earlier in the programme, participants also witnessed the presentation of Quality Management Awards, recognizing institutions that demonstrated excellence in applying quality management principles and improving public service delivery. The Ministry of Digital Transformation received the highest recognition, with Minister Stefan Andonovski addressing participants on the role of digital innovation in creating more efficient and citizen-centred administrations.

The event concluded with a shared commitment to continue investing in professional, transparent, and results-oriented public administrations. For ReSPA, the celebration represented another opportunity to advance its mission of fostering regional cooperation, supporting public administration reform, and contributing to the development of a stronger and more connected European Administrative Space in the Western Balkans.