I was asked for a perspective for the new Secretary-General’s consideration:
In preparation, I reflected on the founding principles enshrined in the UN Charter in 1945 and emphasized the Sustainable Development Goals:
· Maintaining international peace and security – Peacekeeping and peacebuilding, dispute resolution, preventing aggression, mediating conflicts, and conflict recovery.
- Developing friendly relations among nations – based on respect for equal rights and self-determination.
- Promoting international cooperation – in economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian matters.
- Respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms - protecting individuals from abuse, promoting equality.
- Humanitarian assistance – providing emergency aid, disaster relief, and protection to people affected by natural disasters.
- Acting on the principle of sovereign equality - One country, one equal vote.
- Sustainable Development – economic growth and environmental protection to meet the Sustainable Development Goals - leave no one behind. I will discuss later.
Current UN Secretary-General Guterres summarizes UN core values:
“We want the world our children inherit to be defined by the values in the UN Charter: peace, justice, respect, human rights, tolerance and solidarity.”
I was also asked to address Trust. Trust between Leadership and Member nations is faltering. I will start with trust.
I reference The Speed of Trust by Stephen Covey. Do the right thing (character) and stimulate progress to get the right things done (competence).
You build relationships by establishing trust. You do what you say you’re going to do. Be straightforward; emphasize the mutual benefit of your intentions.
Start with small steps producing results, getting to yes, and build on that success. Results matter.
Declare your intent by expressing your agenda; Exhibit humility. You have this awesome responsibility. it's not for your benefit, it’s not about you first, but the organization first. Earn member confidence by exhibiting you can serve them well - strength of purpose.
Communicate repeatedly and expect to win. Share problems. Not confronting reality doesn’t get any easier; clarity is power to build and achieve member buy-in and results.
Keep commitments in establishing relationships. You want to build trust fast, make a commitment and keep it. Be realistic, careful not to overpromise and underdeliver.
An American President once said Trust but Verify, meaning holding those accountable for commitments made.
Be wary of bureaucracy. Layers of management and overlapping structure are designed to control activity. Redundancy is an unnecessary duplication stemming from a lack of trust. It entails cumbersome rules. It defends the status quo and opposes change. Low trust breeds bureaucracy.
Ask: Do nations believe the UN delivers what is promised? Is there continuous improvement? If not, confront reality, clarify expectations, and demand accountability. If there is a gap in trust, prioritize restoring it.
Let me address the UN 17 Sustainable Development Programs
Select one and prioritize it for constant focus to produce a verifiable result. I suggest #4: education. Education is the most important way out of poverty and will have the greatest impact on the lives and productivity of others. To date, there has been some success, and literacy is on the rise. Be accountable for the goals set.
Dolly Parton, an internationally known celebrity, grew up very poor and witnessed illiteracy. She is a success story and an inspiration for others. She saw the value of education and gave millions of free books to enhance literacy. Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, former secretaries of state, talked about education. Rice stressed, it's not where you live that determines your education and future. Encouragement from adult and peer leadership and an individual desire to learn is the recipe. Powell advocated for education; with education, if opportunity comes your way, you can take advantage of it. Without education, opportunity passes you by.
The way out of poverty is through education; be engaged in a lifetime of learning; it never stops. Education is something no one can take from you. It’s a tool that allows you to be competitive and succeed.
Higher education must focus on transdisciplinary approaches to solve complex issues, including collaborating between universities globally.
Dr. Satria, IPB University, focused on the need to change mindset and attitude, for example, farmer markets in Jakarta, in collaboration with the private sector, were able to bring new innovations such as e-markets to become more productive and innovative in their businesses. Another example of collaboration was addressing issues of water and sanitation in settlements through nature-based solutions. (wetlands, reduce flooding, contamination) Such efforts positively impact not only the environment but also children's health. They are now working on 25 communities in several countries. Students do not only have to learn but also apply entrepreneurial skills to find innovative solutions.
Education objectives by 2030:
Ensure all girls and boys have access to early childhood care and pre-school education to be ready to start primary education.
Children and young people need to achieve minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics. Establish and reach a completion rate for primary, middle, and upper secondary education.
Establish global citizenship education and national education policies in: (a) curricula; (b) teacher education and (c) student assessment.
Build facilities that are child, disability, gender sensitive and non-violent learning environments.
Substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers in developing countries through international teacher training.
Result: More people are completing school, an 8% increase, but still only 61% for secondary education. 273 million young people remain out of school. We can do better.
In summary: To build trust, focus on an objective, take action, rally support, and accomplish results.