United Nations Management—An Oxymoron?

Despite the good work of its often brilliant, mostly dedicated, and sometimes heroic staff, management problems still exist at the United Nations Secretariat. Among the daunting challenges for Ban Ki-moon's successor, who will assume office on 1 January 2017, will be rebuilding the decrepit Secretariat. The year 2016 offers a unique opportunity, with the General Assembly having asserted its role in the selection of the Secretary-General by demanding a more transparent process. For the first time in the UN's history, all declared candidates appeared before the General Assembly in April and July of this year to present their vision and to answer questions, including from civil society representatives, in public sessions. Here, Baumann surveys management challenges by recounting some recent scandals that have tarnished the organization and explore if these are random occurrences or, rather, systemic pathologies.