INSIDE VIEW

What does it mean to have a truly multilingual workforce?

How many languages do you speak? I grew up speaking English, then I studied German as my second language because of my family’s roots there. When I joined the US Foreign Service, I had more German training and served in Stuttgart and Frankfurt. I learned Russian...

When less is not more: Sound quality in remote interpreting

Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, with its hard and soft lockdowns, more or less stringent travel restrictions, and varying limitations on indoor gatherings, the world of multilingual multilateral diplomacy, including that of the UN and its specialized agencies,...

Transformative power of mindful conversations

On a sunny afternoon in New York, we metwith Ms. Susan John, Chief of Office for the United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services (“the Office”) to review her first year in the position and discuss informal conflict resolution. Skilled and passionate Passionate...

Erasing microaggressions

The concept of microaggression in the workplace is nothing new for minorities, many of whom experience it based on race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, socioeconomic status or ability, and any combination thereof. Racial microaggression and its various...

Being a parent of a child with disabilities or special needs

Most of us are familiar with our entitlements as parents at the UN, but what if our child requires specialist medical or educational support? Some children need additional care to support their physical, socio-emotional and cognitive development. How inclusive is our...

Breaking the mold

The United Nations system has been a rewarding and inspirational career choice for decades, and for the right reasons — it enables you to engage with people from all over the globe, work in a respected and safe atmosphere and, most importantly, create a lasting impact...

Saving the planet

Patricia Espinosa is the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) since 2016. Before joining the UNFCCC, Espinosa was Diplomat for Mexico and former Secretary of Foreign Affairs. You took over the leadership of the...

Parents working as UN consultants left in the lurch

1 June marks the Global Day of Parents. On this occasion, we have dedicated the fourth episode of our Parents’ Voices series to the situation of non-staff categories at the UN. Often called the UN’s “forgotten workforce,” consultants and individual contractors receive...

Collaboration begins with the click of a button

Launched in February 2022 ahead of the 49th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC), the Mandate Review and Management System (MRMS) quietly accomplished the single most important process mapping and rationalization since the creation of the HRC in 2006. The MRMS...

INSIDE VIEW

Saving the planet

Patricia Espinosa is the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) since 2016. Before joining the UNFCCC, Espinosa was Diplomat for Mexico and former Secretary of Foreign Affairs. You took over the leadership of the...

Parents working as UN consultants left in the lurch

1 June marks the Global Day of Parents. On this occasion, we have dedicated the fourth episode of our Parents’ Voices series to the situation of non-staff categories at the UN. Often called the UN’s “forgotten workforce,” consultants and individual contractors receive...

Collaboration begins with the click of a button

Launched in February 2022 ahead of the 49th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC), the Mandate Review and Management System (MRMS) quietly accomplished the single most important process mapping and rationalization since the creation of the HRC in 2006. The MRMS...

Addressing worldwide food crises and building resilience

You have a long experience addressing ‘food crises’ in the field. Can you tell us more about your work and how crucial it is to address those crises? I have worked on food crisis contexts for over 25 years. The more I work in this field, the more I realise how much...

Is our investigations process fit for purpose?

It must be understood that disciplinary matters for the United Nations, whilst having some similarities with discipline within national civil services, differ in respect of the inclusion of matters which may be regarded as criminal within a Member State and would be...

There are colors in the clouds: the value of self-reflection

I am conducting single-subject research. Historically, examples of self-experimentation occur more often than one realizes. I note, however, that self-experimentation is also a common trait of comic book mad scientists. That is perhaps the subject of another article....

Chasing James Baldwin in Switzerland

I had not planned to follow in James Baldwin’s footsteps over Easter. Neither had I planned to follow Teju Cole’s or Nativ’s path. But here I was walking amongst the weathered but resilient traditional houses of this spa village of Leukerbad in Switzerland looking for...

Unbelievably yes – there’s racism at the UN

Tell us about yourself My UN career journey has seen me travel from freelance status based in Rome, working mostly for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and for European institutions in Brussels, through to appointment as a staff interpreter at United...

African-American women and sounds of equity in humanitarian space

I thought I had always understood inequity. After all, I am an African-American woman raised in the United States. Racial slurs were hurled at me as early as age five, both by white children and other African-Americans. Their unwanted comments about my hair, skin and...

Lifelong learning without earning isn’t for everyone

One aspect of professional development is ‘continuous learning’. Many corporate entities see this as a great way of increasing their value proposition by encouraging their employees to pay attention to it. Beyond just encouraging people to undertake it, some corporate...

Whatsapp
Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn
Share