IDOS in Bonn hosted a panel discussion on challenges and opportunities for United Nations leadership in times of crisis.
Together with the Dag Hammarsjöld Foundation (Upssala) and the UN System Staff College (Turin / Bonn), the head of the UN project at IDOS, Dr. Silke Weinlich, invited to a discussion on UN Leadership in times of crisis. The operational development work of the United Nations is explicitly linked to multilaterally agreed normative foundations such as human rights and gender equality. The UN’s official leadership framework, aligned with the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, places adherence to principle, integrity, and inclusiveness at its core. Especially in times of crisis, it is not easy to translate the noble claim into reality on the ground. The aim of the event was to discuss the challenges for leadership by the United Nations and its leaders and to reflect on conditions for success.
After a welcome by Prof. Dr. Anna-Katharina Hornidge (IDOS) and Patrick van Weerelt (UNSSC), Per Knutson (Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation) presented the report „The Art of Leadership in the United Nations“. This was followed by an interactive dialogue in a fishbowl format, discussing expectations, dilemmas and finally opportunities for UN leadership. The discussion particularly benefited from the reflections of participants in an ongoing UNSSC leadership course that brought leaders from various UN organizations from many world regions to Bonn. The evening event brought together some 45 participants* from diverse backgrounds.
