STU/68th Council/18/007
24 April 2018

Dear colleagues,

Following the adoption of the revised decision on item 31 on 17 April 2018, the Executive Board approved the amount of $2.1 million for the strategic transformation of UNESCO, out of which over one million is dedicated to staff costs, over 200,000 to consultants and approximately 600,000 for travels and DSA.

On Friday 13 April 2018, during the Finance and Administrative Commission (FA) and Programme and External Relations Commission (PX), the Deputy Director- General guaranteed that the different working groups to be created, which will pilot UNESCO’s strategic transformation, will be composed of internal staff.

STU welcomes this decision and expresses its strong desire that this reform will be done in consultation and take into account the contributions of all parties, namely staff and unions. The Director-General, in her opening remarks on the occasion of the 204th session of the Executive Board, stated that “UNESCO’s staff is its main strength”. Engaging staff will ensure the ownership of this reform.

In addition, STU requests that the procedures and criteria for selecting the personnel involved in this process be known in advance and that the appointments be transparent.

We are absolutely convinced that a strategic transformation of this magnitude cannot be done without the involvement and contribution of all staff, both at Headquarters and in the Field, and of all categories (both P and G). We want to participate constructively in this process and remind that we have a real added value from which the Organization can benefit: our expertise, institutional memory, daily communications with Member States and National Commissions, best practices, knowledge of field realities, etc.

Furthermore, the STU considers that the working groups need to reflect on the mission of UNESCO as per its Constitution and the vision of the United Nations system, i.e. gender parity, diversity of cultures and a balanced geographical distribution, expertise, ambition and excellence!

Reform of UNESCO, and the UN system as a whole, can only succeed in close dialogue and consultation with all stakeholders, including staff.

Strong and cooperative staff-management relations are the key for a sustainable, stronger UNESCO and United Nations.

Best regards,

The STU Council.