International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) Director General Sofiane Sahraoui recently attended the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) meetings held in New York City from March 26th to 31st. This marks the Institute's regular participation in the CEPA meetings, with many of its current and past members involved in the expert gathering.

During the meeting, IIAS President Ra'ed BenShams, who attended virtually, made notable contributions. Additionally, a position paper on public sector workforce, which was one of the themes discussed during the CEPA meetings, was published on the UN CEPA webpage.

Dr. Sahraoui seized the opportunity of the CEPA meetings to invite several prominent CEPA members to give keynote speeches at IIAS events, including the CEPA Chair, Geraldine Fraser Moleketi; Vice Chair, Rolf Alter; and members Aminata Touré and Ronald Mendoza.

He also held several bilateral talks with participants during the CEPA meetings, including with Dr. Najat Zarrouk and Alex B. Brillantes Jr., to plan the organization of the IASIA 2023 Conference, which will take place in the Philippines this summer. He also met with Ludeki Chweya, IASIA Vice President for Africa region, to further discuss the organization of the IIAS conference scheduled for early 2024 in Kenya, and with Dr. Laila El-Baradei and her team at the American University in Cairo to discuss the organization of the EUROMENA dialogues at the end of the year.

In addition, a strategic partnership agreement between IIAS and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA) was discussed with Youness Abouyoub, the Chief of Governance and State-Building Section at UN-ESCWA. UN-ESCWA was invited to participate in IASIA 2023 and IIAS 2024 conferences and co-organize the EUROMENA dialogues at the end of the year.

The UN CEPA committee members include Dr. Najat Zarrouk, President of the IASIA; Juraj Nemec, member of the IIAS Programme and Research Advisory Committee (PRAC) and former Vice President for publications at IASIA; Lamya Al-Moubayyed, former Vice President for the Middle East region at IASIA; Alketa Peci, former Working Group III Chair at IASIA and former member of the International Committee on Accreditation of Public Administration (ICAPA); Cristina Rodriguez-Acosta, IASIA Working Group IV Project Director; Alex B. Brillantes Jr., member of the ICAPA Steering Committee; Ludeki Chweya, Vice President for Africa region at IASIA; Edgar Varela, former President of the Latin American Group of Public Administration (LAGPA) and IASIA Board of Management member for Latin America & the Caribbean region; and Laila El-Baradei, IASIA Working Group V Project Director.