United Nations 60th Birthday: Two Simple Ideas for Reform and a Third Idea About PEACE
an article by Joanne Tawfilis

This week marks the 60th Birthday of the UN. One of the best portrayals of the celebration is the UN Foundation's website that provides a 52 page illustrated report and a photo slide show illustrating a sampling of just how much work has been accomplished;

However, the criticism regarding effectiveness, including financial grounding of the UN continues to ring loud with calls for reform, including statements made by the Secretary General himself and published on the UN website.

Based on my former Executive level positions as Head of Managements Services (P-5) (IAEA), and Director, Human Resource Management Services (D-1) (UNEP), I was able to personally witness accomplishments of the UN and at the same time, obtain first hand experiences and observations regarding possibilities for realistic measures that could make a difference. These two ideas are proposed below for consideration that could change the look and feel of the UN and enhance its effectiveness, while bringing it back to the organization the great Eleanor Roosevelt had envisioned it to be.

1) To clarify and mandate clarity of purpose and functions between organizations, and encourage collaboration between them on common areas of concern, and to rely more on collaborations and partnerships with international NGO's who fund raise and have staff to carry out SOME of the work the UN is currently duplicating. (This would streamline organizations and collaborations and sharing of experts would be maximized)

2) To equalize and flatten salary baselines and restructure the personnel pay and performance system to resemble something similar to the US Federal System, where all employees are General Service, with few exceptions for very senior managers and professionals. (This would truly "equalize" the current system and make it fair. Money saved from the periodic wage classifications surveys that are conducted for local national employees could actually be given to those employees who MUST have the same qualifications across the board in developed countries. Working for the UN should be a privilege and all workers should be paid equally and accordingly and finally

3) During this Decade for the Culture of Peace and Non Violence Among Children of the World, it would be worthwhile for governing boards to mandate each of the organizations to report in 2010, precisely what THEIR organization did to support this resolution? Collaboration could then become a reality and program results would be much more visible enabling the good work of the UN to proliferate PEACE efforts for the next 60 years.

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