The whole idea of an Ethics Office is to prevent problems before they arise. To try to identify, and to try to help staff identify, what is a conflict of interest and what their obligations and protections are. In that light, the JPOSC discussed with Israel Marañón, Ethics Analyst JPO with the Ethics Office, a few issues regarding ethics in the private life, and the answers are the following:

1. May we sign petitions from organizations such as human rights organizations or NGOs?
As International Civil Servants, we may not sign up such petitions in our official capacity unless the campaign has been endorsed by the UN. We contribute to Human Rights through our work in UNDP.  However, as private citizens, we can exercise our civic rights by signing a petition, as long as the cause is consistent with the aims and interests of the Organization.

2. There will be a pro-human rights demonstration in the capital at my duty station. Am I allowed to attend since the UN defends and promotes human rights?
It depends.  You may not attend to ‘represent’ the UN unless there is an official decision to do so. You may attend in your private capacity if you are not taking a spokesperson or other visible role. You should not go on the podium or do any particular act to draw attention to yourself. You should also consider that sometimes a rally that starts out peacefully can become violent and disorderly. You must not become involved in any activity that is inconsistent with your status as an international civil servant.Since situations vary from one duty station to another, it is important that staff consult with the Head of Office before taking part in any activity of this nature.

3. May we be outspoken about our views (i.e. political) on Facebook, blogs, and such virtual tools?
You should not publicly express your private political opinions that could affect the independence, impartiality and neutrality expected of you as an international civil servant. We must be very careful with what we do or say regarding our political views. Blogs are very public and as such, should not be used for communicating our opinions. Same goes for Facebook. We may speak about issues such as politics with our family and friends, but we need to be aware of who is listening. We cannot allow our opinions to be considered the opinions of the UN.

4. Regarding the approval for an outside activity, if engaging in a similar activity (or second "phase" of the same activity) for which the approval for outside activity was already received, do we have to re-submit the request form? The Approval for Outside Activity Form should be re-submitted for every activity, different or similar, in which we would like to be involved in, regardless of previous approvals obtained. Furthermore, even the approvals obtained for a given activity need to be re-submitted on a yearly basis.

We encourage you to contact the Ethics Office in case you have any other question (related to the above or else): Ethics Office's website

Back to newsletter