Public authority

From CEOpedia | Management online

Public authority are any self-government body or institution established or established by law [1]. Public authority aims to help the government achieve its objectives when their achievement is more effective through separate legal entities. Public authority is part of the public service and it is in its interest to act in the public interest. Actions by public authorities are intended to be profitable, i.e. to contribute to the generation of government revenue[2] .

Public authorities involved in credit risk assessment can be divided into [3] :

  • core public authority,
  • functional public authority,
  • optional public authority.

Categories of public authorities

We can distinguish three groups of public authorities [4]:

Core public authorities are obliged to respect human rights in all their activities.

  • Administrative units
  • Territory authorities
  • Ministers
  • Police officers
  • Public employees

Public authorities have a duty to respect human rights and take them into account in every decision making process. This applies both internally and externally (e.g. employment).

Functional public authorities are private entities or such social organizations that perform public functions. They are obliged to respect human rights only in the scope of public activities which have been commissioned to them on the basis of a concluded agreement.

Optional public authority is a private entity which is not obliged to respect human rights in its activities, but may join this obligation.

Responsibility for climate change

Public authorities are also responsible for climate care. As part of their action, they should engage in activities that contribute to halting climate change. It stands out among those that contribute to climate change [5]:

  • assets contributing to the increase in the greenhouse effect (support for sectors using fossil fuels or contributing to the emission of greenhouse gases,
  • deciding on procurement in public sectors affected by climate change,
  • management of natural resources,
  • investing in research and development on how to mitigate the effects of climate change,
  • accountability for society in the context of ensuring its security in the event of a deepening of climate change.

Footnotes


Public authorityrecommended articles
Public administrationEuropean Charter for Local Self-GovernmentConsumer ombudsmanEnterpriseFunctions of accountingVoivodeBoardTeritorial governmentLocal government

References

Author: Julia Kręcioch