Who needs the UN?

Another day, another headline about deadlock in the U.N.'s Security Council—which limits the U.N.’s ability to act effectively on issues of peace and security...on a regular basis, the United Nations gets critizied; most recently the WHO, a specialised agency to the U.N., who got a bad reputation due to the speed at which information had been shared related to the pandemic outbreak.

Long even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the world faced rising global challenges: the climate crisis and threats of nuclear weapons; changes in populations and in the digital sphere; growing geopolitical tensions and new forms and patterns of violence; and deepening inequalities with growing social unrest.

As the world’s only truly universal global organisation, the United Nations has become the foremost forum to address issues that transcend national boundaries and cannot be resolved by any one country acting alone. Taking a global view reveals some interesting facts.

Many of the UN’s programmes are quiet successes; all of them are urgently important.

Lets have a closer look at the UNITED NATIONS achievements:

• Provides food and assistance to 97 million people in 88 countries

• Supplies vaccines to 50% of the world’s children, helps save 3 million lives a year

• Assists and protects 97.3 million people fleeing war, famine and persecution

• Works with 196 nations to keep the global temperature rise well below 2°C/3.6°F

• Keeps peace with 90,000 peacekeepers in 12 operations around the world

• Tackles the global water crisis affecting over 2.2 billion people worldwide

• Protects and promotes human rights globally and through 80 treaties/declarations

• Coordinates US$34 billion appeal for the humanitarian needs of 160 million people

• Uses diplomacy to prevent conflict: assists some 50 countries a year with their elections

• Supports over 30 million women a year with sexual and reproductive health services

Finding the ‘right’ UN system organisation that matches your profile, skills and competencies, can lead to a fulfilling career where you get the chance to leave an important impact on the world. It means working with people from all over the world, getting to know different cultures and strengthening your multicultural team working skills while working on a good cause for human mankind and our planet. 

The United Career Coalition (UCC) aims to address the lack of knowledge about how to enter these organisations and offers FREE blog articles, webinars and other services to enable you to access information about the different recruitment and selection processes as well as to help you get your UN system related questions answered.

UCC enables opportunities to network and connect with current and former UN staff and shares advice from those that have applied, interviewed and secured UN system roles.

Curious to learn more? Looking for ways to kickstart your international career? We share the best cover letter tips and structure for 2021! Learn how to craft a cover letter that stands out with UCCs 20 page Illustrated guide of cover letter tips

The United Career Coalition aims to share knowledge, insights, tips & advice from those that have applied, interviewed and secured United Nations system roles! 

Want to learn more on how to spot relevant skills and competencies in a U.N. system vacancy or the best method to convey your skills in a cover letter? Get in touch with one of our UN insiders or download UCC’s 45min cover letter webinar with tips and advice from U.N. insiders!

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