Addis Ababa, 30 September 2022 (ECA) - Staff members attended a Town Hall meeting on 29 September 2022, chaired by Acting Executive Secretary, of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Antonio Pedro. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the new United Nations (UN) Values and Behaviours Framework, which forms the basis of an organizational culture that is both current and aspirational.
The new Framework acts as a tool to guide staff members on how to engage with one another as well as how the ECA, and UN at large, engage with their stakeholders. Mr Pedro underscored the four guiding principles of the new Framework namely: inclusion, integrity, humility and humanity. The Framework also highlights five behaviours: “Connect and Collaborate; Analyse and Plan; Deliver Results with Positive Impact, Learn and Develop; and Adapt and Innovate.”
Staff union president, Nassirou Ba, said the Framework better reflects the goals of the organization for the years to come and that it takes into account the constantly changing nature of the world and renews the commitment to the people the ECA serves. He added, “the bottom line here is to build positive relationships with others, advance the work of the UN and work coherently as one unit and demonstrate self-awareness and the willingness to learn from others.”
Mr. Ba also highlighted a new integrated staff engagement action plan, which focuses on continuous improvement, career satisfaction, manager relations and resources and support as areas of priority for the future.
Chigozirim Bodart, Programme Management Officer at the Strategic Planning, Oversight and Results Division explained “we are moving towards ECA 2.0, toward an organization that is fit for the future, drives a culture of results and job satisfaction, where staff members feel empowered and are provided with opportunities to excel and make an impact.”
To achieve this Ms. Bodart noted the organization is making use of mechanisms like staff engagement surveys, the UN Secretariat Learning Strategy 2021-2025 and the UN Secretariat’s People Strategy 2021-2025 as starting points.
Staff members were also given the opportunity to provide feedback and share their thoughts on the new Framework. Many conveyed their enthusiasm about the unique opportunity it provides to strengthen the sense of belonging within the organization.
In 1999, the UN ‘Competencies for the Future’ were launched to enable staff to contribute their maximum potential. For twenty years, these competencies have provided the Organization with the base on which to define its organizational culture. The new UN Values and Behaviours Framework builds on the strength of these competencies and incorporates the changes that have taken place both internally and externally over the past two decades. They also reflect the ways of working needed to deliver on the goals and priorities of the UN for the future.
Mr Pedro said an all-hands-on-deck approach will be crucial to ensure a successful implementation of the new Values and Behaviours Framework.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org