The Atlas of Innovation in Public Communication is an initiative led by UNDP to identify, celebrate, and amplify innovative approaches to public communication that strengthen openness, participation, inclusion, and trust.
Through this global effort, the initiative seeks to highlight practices that are redefining how institutions engage with people, particularly those historically excluded from decision-making processes.

Public institutions – together with civil society organizations, academia, media and communication practitioners that have been collaborating with public institutions – are invited to share their most creative and impactful experiences. 

Selected initiatives will be featured in a curated Atlas of Public Communication, gaining global visibility and contributing to a collective learning journey toward more effective governance.

What is Public Communication and Why Does it Matter?

Public communication is the strategic use of communication by public institutions and organizations that serve society, oriented toward the common good and designed to build bonds, foster inclusiveness, and generate social value. Unlike political communication, which is communication at the service of political competition, public communication seeks to prioritize public interest. 

Public communication is essential because it directly impacts the quality of public debate – and with it the quality of governance. In the absence of ethical and effective public communication, polarization deepens, misinformation spreads, and institutions lose legitimacy. But when done well, public communication can enable cooperation, strengthen resilience, and reinvigorate democratic practice.

This initiative recognizes that public communication is not a technical add-on. It is a vital element of effective governance, one that can inspire hope, mobilize collective action, accelerate development and empower people to shape their futures.