Innovation

Innovation is about being much more effective and at the scale that is necessary to benefit the people the United Nations serves.

 

Secretary-General António Guterres, CEB Second Regular Session of 2018  

Under the leadership of the Secretary-General as Chairman of CEB, the 31 Executive Heads that comprise the Board have recognized the imperative to not only become more adept at utilizing new technologies, but also to integrate and mainstream innovation into the daily operations of individual entities and the United Nations system as a whole in order to become better equipped at adapting to the challenges facing the world today and to better support Member States in their pursuit of the SDGs (see CEB/2017/2, CEB/2018/1 and CEB/2018/2).

In follow-up to CEB directives and in support of the Secretary-General’s strategy on new technologies, the High-level Committee on Programmes (HLCP) examined the impact of new technologies on the achievement of the SDGs, with particular focus on the unique perspectives and needs of developing countries as an over-arching and cross-cutting consideration for that work. The effort resulted in the completion of the UN system-wide strategic approach and road map for supporting capacity development on artificial intelligence, UN system-wide strategic approach for achieving inclusive, equitable and innovative education and learning for all, and UN system strategy on the future of work.

In parallel, the High-level Committee on Management (HLCM) engaged in a series of discussions on fostering innovation and mainstreaming it into the operational and management practices of the system in 2018 and 2019. 

In addition, the CEB Secretariat, together with the United Nations Innovation Network, developed the UN Innovation Toolkit which was made available to the UN system and broader public in 2019.