Felix Dodds comments on sustainable development, coffee & life

Guest blog: Lenni Montiel : Senior UN Development Leader (Ret.) | Former UN Assistant Secretary-General |UNDP Resident Representative | Governance, Public Policy & Multilateral Diplomacy | Leadership Advisor & Trainer | Chevening Scholar. Lenni writes on LinkedIn about the UN and international development. Originally published here.   Every international relations student asks how to get into the UN. Almost none ask this: "Where would I apply for a job if the UN didn't exist?" It sounds like a strange question. But it reveals something important. I've often reflected on it myself. If the UN hadn't existed, I suspect I would still have spent my career working on governance, public policy, and international development, just through different institutions. Many students focus on the institution. The destination. Too few begin by asking what kind of work they truly want to dedicate themselves to. Yet the most fulfilled professionals I encountered during my ...

Guest blog by Dr.   Antony Stokes LVO OBE, writing about diplomacy and how to do it Is a mid-career entry to multilateral diplomacy impossible? 7 ways you can make it possible:  It’s not the easiest time to find the diplomacy job you want. Cuts, reforms, AI. Competition is intense. The best-known entry routes are for graduates. But there are also ways for outsiders with expertise. 7 paths (with examples): 1️⃣ Consultancy rosters & expert panels Many UN agencies maintain pre-vetted pools in fields like governance, public health, emergency response. Examples: UNDP & UNICEF run calls where mid-career experts can be approved, then tapped for short-term assignments without fresh recruitment. https://lnkd.in/etFNWAeM https://lnkd.in/eC5JVcfd The UNSC establishes Panels of Experts for short-term consultancies requiring thematic or regional knowledge. 2️⃣ Standby & surge mechanisms NGOs & governments maintain standby rosters to deploy external experts to UN agencies’...