To highlight the value and virtue of public service to communities and development, and to recognize the work of public servants and encourage young people to pursue careers in the public sector, this day was designated as Public Service Day by the United Nations General Assembly.

Today, as armed conflicts, displacement and migration, and the COVID-19 pandemic leave tens of thousands of women newly widowed and many others whose partners are missing or disappeared, the unique experiences and needs of widows must be brought to the forefront, with their voices leading the way.