Revolutionizing the way we think about the United Nations: Three wishes for UN day 2017

The Charter of the United Nations, which came into force on 24 October 1945, pillar of the work of the United Nations around the world, recites the following:

The United Nations was formed to maintain international peace and security, take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, in conformity with the principles of justice and international law; To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples; To develop international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character, in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.

Back to the basics, and by reading those lines of Article I of the Charter, this is where we should all start from everyday: This is why we are here for, chronicling about the United Nations, monitoring and ensuring the best coverage and positive experiences, actions and impact that the United Nations has had on our lives, since inception. For 72 years now. And for many more to come.

Coupled up with transparency, accountability, sense of responsibility, commitment to this higher and noble cause, team leadership, a holistic approach towards program delivery, goals and partnerships, i compiled a list of three wishes that I hope to see, from now until the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and in alignment ( since I am speaking from the African perspective) the 7 Aspirations of Africa included in the Agenda 2063, where we wish to see the Rise of Africa, from the political, socio-economic and cultural pride and strong potentials to be the Future of the World.

1. Invest in Youth and in Technology: more than anything, young people are restless, full of energy, dynamic and full of willingness to GO and DO things. People and Employers of the world, do not leave them home. This is the worst we can see, in this generation of mine, where millions of students, highly educated, in schools, colleges and universities, do not have a fulfilling job that allows them to grow their potential and unleash it for the good of the society, bringing in ideas, fresh innovative ways of doing things, using technology and social media to connect and grow more in terms of business opportunities and partnerships. More Young People, More Collaboration, More Friendships, More Creativity, More Results!!

2. Invest in Continuous Learning , Emotional Intelligence, Personal well-being, work-life balance and renewed Commitment towards the specific UN agency’s mandate: more than work, there is the Health and Well-being of staff, employees, interns, consultants, and all the People that serve Populations of the World. There is a saying that i normally use: Mens sana in Corpore sano, healthy mind in healthy body. If you are emotionally connected to yourself and, as Socrates used to say “Know Thyself” Know yourself first ( your strengths and weaknesses, your abilities and what you can work on to improve, then you are halfway there) , then you can live well in society and balance correctly your workload and your leisure time, your relax and time with family and friends, with your work and results-based programmes, strategies, processes, and objectives. The United Nations is a complex world full of Learnings, therefore, in order to be creative, link initiatives and partner up, innovate in simple and effective ways to reach everyone, we must be in full physical and emotional strength. We need to collaborate more, communicate more effectively (using social media also to interact), being culturally sensitive and aware of the richness in our diversity of cultures, traditions and religions. Respect everybody and, when it comes down to Work, it is Work and we must make sure we take a look at the big Picture, again, Serve the People of the World, from where we are. My humble advise to you: Either boy or girl, Believe in You and Be willing to Learn and Deliver. Be an idealist-realist ( as Bill Gates defines himself) and be cheerful of all initiatives that come in, evaluate, discuss, consult, make mistakes, get back on track again, do not give up, remember the reason why you came on board in the first place, motivate teams, believe in the work you are doing ( it is having an impact although you still do not know it) , take initiatives, be creative, be collaborative, be accountable, be a role model.

3. Listen and take note of the Reform of the United Nations, presented by Antonio Guterres , the UN Secretary General, this June: In a nutshell, Simplify things. More operational, less bureaucratic. More dynamic, more resilient, less political. Watch out for his work, he is knowledgeable and take things down to Earth, operations and results. Less Talks More Actions. On this page, you will see what it is all about: Strengthening the UN, means delivering results to those most in need, doing more with what we have and strengthening accountability. The UN Reform is about management: Simplify procedures and Decentralize decisions, with greater transparency, efficiency and accountability. Impact will be measures through tangible results in the lives of the people we serve, and the trust of those who support the UN work through their hard-earned resources. Value for money while advancing share value. Read more on the complete and detailed UN Reform here.

Finally, and a bigger wish, long term but sustainable, the Serve the People sentence should be in our minds everyday when we go to work. Flexible, Effective, Efficient. Well-coordinated and Accountable. Together we can do so much. Happy UN Day !