Home | Business News | Browse by Publication | G | Global Governance

What kind of international public service do we need for the Twenty-First century?

Article Excerpt
In the fall of 2007, at the Sixty-second General Assembly of the United Nations, where reform of the organization was a major issue, two ideas converged about the staff of the UN system. Ban Ki-moon, in his first report on the organization stated:



When it comes to the reform of the of the Organization, we will need to be ambitious while at the same time focused and disciplined. We will also need to maximize the tremendous potential of our biggest asset--a diverse and dedicated staff. To fully leverage this key asset, we must build a staff that is truly mobile, multifunctional and accountable, with more emphasis on career development and training. And it means holding all United Nations employees to the highest standards of integrity and ethical behaviour, both at Headquarters and in the field. (1)

At the same time, four countries (Chile, South Africa, Sweden, and Thailand), under the Four Nations Initiative in Towards a Compact: Proposals for Improved Governance and Management of the United Nations Secretariat, made a proposal (number 28) "that ways and means be devised for the UN, as a knowledge-based organization, to develop long-term visions for human resource issues as a whole." (2)

In explaining this, the report stated,

Such a vision should look at what a future international civil service should encompass, taking into account all the demands and complexities of the UN in the 21st century. A vision should be informed by experience and good practice of other large knowledge-based organizations. At the same time it must be based on the UN Charter and the international character of the UN. It is important that the principles of transparency and accountability are maintained, as well as the proper division of responsibility between Member States and the Secretariat. The formulation of such a vision should take into account the unique nature of the Organization and should not compete with ongoing efforts of reform in the field of human resources. It would be complementary, facilitating the long-term direction of efforts for improvement. (3)

Similar concerns are being expressed in the other organizations of the United Nations system, including the Bretton Woods institutions, where new executive heads are calling for reform.

The international civil service, one of the main institutional innovations of the twentieth century, started with the League of Nations and the International Labour Organization. (4) There has been a clear evolution in tasks and status as well as significant growth. At the same time, the international civil service has not been immune to the criticisms leveled at...

View this article FREE - Now for a Limited Time, try Goliath Business News
Free for 3 Days!