UN Ombuds and Mediator Meeting 2023 Statement

UN Ombuds and Mediator Meeting 2023

Statement

By

Dr. QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General

9 May 2023

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

I am pleased to welcome all of you to FAO Headquarters.

 

Ombuds (an ombudsman, ombudswoman, ombudsperson or public advocate) is an official who is usually appointed by the government or by parliament or organization (often with a significant degree of independence) to listen and take care of complaints and assist to resolve them, usually through recommendations or mediation, and with the strong support of the Principal. Ombuds sometimes also aim to identify systemic issues leading to poor service or breaches of people's rights, especially of staff’s rights.

 

Origins and etymology: A prototype of an ombudsman may have flourished in China during the Qin Dynasty (221 BC), and later where an undercover official directly appointed by the king was sent to local provinces to monitor government officials and look after the populace while travelling incognito. The Roman Tribune had some similar roles, with power to veto acts that infringed upon the Plebeians.

 

An indigenous Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish term, ombudsman, ombudsmann or ombudsmand is etymologically rooted in the Old Norse word umboðsmaðr, essentially meaning 'representative' (with the word umbud/ombud meaning 'proxy', 'attorney'; that is, someone who is authorized to act for someone else, a meaning it still has in the Scandinavian languages. Thus, the modern plural form ombudsmen of the English borrowed word ombudsman is likely.

 

Looking back at the history of Ombuds and its basic function, meetings like this are a true reflection of working as ONE UN, based on the original meaning.  

 

The UN is a very diverse place of work, and these many different perspectives enrich our lives and our work, but can sometimes also cause friction and even lead to internal conflict within agencies. We should always start by addressing issues at the lowest possible level to prevent unnecessary escalation. This is where the work of the Ombuds is critical!

 

Across the UN, we must use the tools of dialogue and mediation - internally with our workforce and externally with our Members and stakeholders. The UN should be a role model for the world on how to resolve internal tension and create a harmonious and productive workplace.

 

This is vital as each of us focuses on achieving our mandate – at FAO this is to ensure a world free from hunger and malnutrition, assist rural development and improve farmer’s livelihood. I am a firm believer in integrity in the workplace, and at FAO we are working to ensure that colleagues are more aware of their obligations as international civil servants.

 

It is for this reason that we moved from having a joint Ombuds and Ethics Officer to having two separate offices – each operating independently to prevent conflict of interest. Katya Melluish is our first dedicated Ombuds, and I am very proud of her and pleased to know that she can tap into the collective expertise and wisdom of this network – in the spirit of ONE UN.

 

Having an Ombuds available as a neutral and loyal party who can provide a confidential and professional channel is very important, it helps to reduce tension and prevent potential litigation. I have seen the positive impact of the Ombuds role here at FAO since the office was established.

 

As Head of a UN specialized agency, it is of utmost importance to me that every single employee feels that their dignity as a human being is valued and respected.

 

This network provides a specialized and unique support to the whole UN System to help create a more harmonious workplace, based on individual dignity, which promotes effective collaboration and mutual respect. Sharing experiences from different organizations enriches knowledge and broadens experience. As I always tell FAO employees, mutual growth comes from thinking together, learning together and working together.  

 

I look forward to the action points arising from your discussions as we collectively progress forward in creating an even stronger ONE UN based on integrity, dignity, ethics, understand, respect, inclusiveness and harmony.

 

Thank you.