2018 UN Secretary General Awards

In the 2018 UN Secretary General Awards, announced on 24 October 2018, two awards were won by UNOG colleagues from the Centre of Learning and Multilingualism (CLM) in collaborative projects with other duty stations. The SG Awards honour and recognize outstanding, ground-breaking, inspiring and exemplary work of UN Secretariat staff who have contributed above and beyond the call of duty, or advanced projects with great impact and potential.

Here is a brief description of the award-winning projects in the categories of multilingualism and innovation:

Multilingualism: Harmonization of Language Learning and Assessment throughout the United Nations Secretariat

The mission of the Language Harmonization Project implemented by the CLM Language Training Programme, UNOG, and the Language and Communications Programme, UNHQ, is to create a common United Nations Language Framework for language learning and assessment, with the aim of building consistency across all UN language programmes whilst remaining flexible and adaptable to local realities. The Framework defines a common curriculum in the six official languages for all language learning programmes across the Secretariat and serves as a reference from which to develop other assessment tools for career development and recruitment processes.

Innovation: UN Online Examinations and Tests System

This is a cloud-based system, fully built on open-source technology, in cooperation between OHRM/UNOG CLM and the Office of Information and Communication Technology. It now delivers all major Secretariat examinations and tests, including the Young Professionals Programme, Language Competitive Examinations, and the Global General Services Test, to more than 80,000 test-takers in all UN Member States. This has eliminated the need for printing, shipping, as well as staff and candidate travel and has also allowed for greater access to applicants in remote and underrepresented areas.

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The 2018 edition of the UN Secretary-General Awards received 170 nominations. Two other UNOG submissions were selected as finalists:

• UNOG’s Perception Change Project with the submission: “Innovatively changing the narrative” in the category of innovation.
• Ms Corinne Momal-Vanian for mentoring emerging women leaders in the context of the EMERGE programme in the category of mentoring.

UNOG also presented three additional nominations as follows:

• The Accessibility project - in the Client Service Category - for the provision of conference services to allow full accessibility to intergovernmental deliberations (sign language, interpretation, close caption, hearing loops) presented by the Interpretation Service, the Language Services and the Central Coordination Service of the Division of Conference Management;
• The Integrated State of Art Visual Communication Services Project - in the Client Service Category - presented by the Design Unit of the Central Planning and Coordination Service of the Division of Conference Management;
• The Knowledge and Learning Commons Project - in the category of Innovation - to address knowledge sharing between UN staff and the diplomatic community, allow and facilitate their collaboration and address their soft learning needs, presented jointly by CLM, HRMS and the UNOG Library.