To Colleagues at UN 21 Awards, Secretary-General Says ‘Your Willingness

 

to Go Beyond the Call of Duty Is What We Are Honouring Today’

 

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the UN 21 Awards, as prepared for delivery:

I am delighted to be with you for the UN 21 awards.  When they were initiated 15 years ago, the idea was to honour initiatives that would help to prepare the United Nations for the twenty-first century.  We are now well into the twenty-first century, but the purpose of the rewards remains as relevant as ever.

We are an evolving Organization, always eager to find better ways of doing business, to implement best practices, and to strengthen the work we do for the world’s people.  That is why I have recently established a Change Management Team.  Our goal is to make constructive change a core part of the Organization’s culture and way of doing business.

But, there is another reason why I attach such importance to the UN 21 Awards.  I believe it is essential to recognize the initiative of staff members who go the extra mile, who see opportunities to change their working environment, and who transform such opportunities into achievements.

To all the finalists we recognize here today, let me say this:  you share an innovator’s spirit.  You look at a process or a product and think about how to improve it, how to make it better, faster, more effective or more user-friendly — often all of the above.  You have an eye for what could be, and you do not rest until you have found a creative way to realize your vision.  Your willingness to go beyond the call of duty is what we are honouring today.

This ceremony also reminds us of all the talent in this Organization — the many exceptional minds and dedicated professionals — from G to P to USG! — who are serving the peoples of the world.  I am proud to serve with you, and to celebrate your achievements.  To all the nominees and winners of this year’s UN 21 Awards I say:  “Congratulations and thank you for your commitment to the ideals of the United Nations!”

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For information media • not an official record