UN gives awards to staffers as part of management reform initiative

The United Nations today gave out “UN 21” awards to its own staffers around the globe in a bid to boost the world body's efficiency and effectiveness.

The nine award-winning projects – which were evaluated for excellence in delivering the UN's services and programmes as well as for their contributions in areas such as staff morale, productivity, knowledge management, administration and information technology – were selected from 70 initiatives nominated worldwide.

“Your efforts in substantive programmes and field projects have directly helped people in the countries where you serve,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, congratulating the award winners. “Your endeavours have given the United Nations' work more impact and make us a more productive organization.”

Among the winners were three UN Environment Programme (UNEP) projects: the Billion Tree Campaign, which was launched in 2006; the Indian Solar Loan Programme, which has brought solar energy to 100,000 people in India; and the Environmental Management of the Iraqi Marshlands which has seen the partial restoration of the largest wetland ecosystem in the Middle East.

“I am delighted that three outstanding projects from the UNEP stable have been recognized by their United Nations peers as beacons of creativity and transformational change,” said Achim Steiner, the agency's Executive Director.

Also among the award winners were two projects initiated by staff in the UN's Vienna offices – one streamlining administrative processes for staff who leave the organization, the other improving the way governments report drug-related data.