A survey of over 688 UN staffers in Geneva has come up with some startling revelations re-affirming the fact, which has long remained under wraps, that “racism exists within the UN”. The survey revealed that “more than 1 in 3 staff have personally experienced racial discrimination and/or have witnessed others facing racial discrimination in the workplace. And two-thirds of those who experienced racism did so on the basis of nationality”.

A separate survey by the UN Staff Union in New York was equally revealing.

According to the findings, 59% of the respondents said, “They don’t feel the UN effectively addresses racial justice in the workplace, while every second respondent noted they don’t feel comfortable talking about racial discrimination at work”.

The UN Secretariat in New York, faltered ingloriously, as it abruptly withdrew its own online survey on racism, in which it asked staffers to identify themselves either as “black, brown, white, mixed/multi-racial, and any other”. The most offensive of the categories listed in the survey was yellow - a longstanding Western racist description of Asians, including Japanese, Chinese and Koreans.

A non-apologetic message emailed later to staffers read, “The UN Survey on Racism has been taken offline and will be revised and reissued, taking into account the legitimate concerns expressed by staff.”

The findings of the Geneva survey also reveal:

1-. Among those who experienced or witnessed racism, a majority of staff indicated that racial discrimination affected opportunities for career advancement. A significant number of staff also indicated that racial discrimination manifested itself in the form of verbal abuse and exclusion from work events, such as decision-making, trainings, missions, assignments, etc.
2-. A large number who experienced or witnessed racial discrimination, harassment or abuse of authority indicated that no action was taken. Lack of trust in the organization’s recourse mechanisms and fear of retaliation were cited as the most common reason.

3-. Respondents believed racism needed to be addressed in a number of different ways. These include accountability and zero tolerance, training and sensitization, greater transparency in hiring, broader diversity, and a more open dialogue on the issue.

Prisca Chaoui, Executive Secretary of the 3,500-strong Staff Coordinating Council at the UN Office at Geneva (UNOG), said: “We believe, as a staff union, that it is high time for the organization to seriously combat pervasive racism and racial discrimination. This means greater accountability and a zero tolerance Policy towards any racial act. We are glad to see that the UN management is willing to address this issue, and as a staff union, we are ready to assist in coming up with serious measures that go beyond empty words and lead to a real change so that the UN shows it is capable of upholding the principles that it preaches to the overall world.”

She went on saying: “We are concerned that many cases of racism remain unreported due to the lack of trust of the staff in the existing recourse mechanisms ad well as fear of retaliation. The findings of the survey confirm that racism exists within the UN, as earlier stated by the Secretary-General. They also show that supervisors and senior managers have an important role to play, as do all staff, in tackling this issue”. The results of the survey “will guide our interactions with management at the duty station and globally. They will also be used to help the Council propose to senior management at UNOG a strategy to fight racism in the workplace”, is her conclusion.

Patricia Nemeth, President, United Nations Staff Union, told IPS the UN Staff Union in New York, which has a strength of over 6,500 members - with the local staff in peacekeeping operations overseas estimated at approximately 20,000 plus - ran its own survey entitled “UNHQ-NY pulse survey on racial justice”.

The murder of the African-American George Floyd, added to those of Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, and so many more, “reopened the wounds of racial injustice that afflict our host country and the world as a whole”. The UN, she pointed out, has a normative framework to address racial discrimination within the organization, but work remains to be done, as recognized by the Secretary-General in his letter on June 4.

“In this spirit, the Staff Union is committed to serving as a platform for progress towards greater inclusion, diversity, dignity and social justice both within the UN and beyond,” declared Nemeth.

The New York survey was intended to provide the Staff Union with a better understanding of the current situation regarding racial injustice within the UN Secretariat and will help determine “how we as staff can contribute to making improvements and feed into broader policy discussions”.

The survey combined questions about racial discrimination in the workplace on personal basis “and specific questions about discrimination against individuals of African descent, which is a key focus of concern at our duty station right now.”

The responses received revealed:

1-. 44% of the respondents noted there is no adequate racial diversity and 46% noted that they feel that staff of African descent are not adequately represented within their department.
2-. 43% noted they have experienced workplace harassment or intimidation as a result of their race.
3-. Staff members have experienced acts of racial discrimination, in tone and language used towards them, in selection and promotion processes and in recognition of their authority and grade.

4. New York staff would like the UN ensures diversity in positions of authority; establish an anonymous channel for reporting racial discrimination; and ensure racial diversity in Human Resource and Executive Offices and staff-facing offices in the formal and informal justice system. So, the staff would feel safe sharing their concerns, and confident they will be understood and taken seriously.
5-. Respondents believed racism needed to be addressed in a number of different ways: training and sensitization, greater transparency in recruitment, need for action instead of words, creating safe workspace and inclusiveness, understanding structural and systemic racism.

Nemeth said the survey results will allow the staff union’s coordination group on racial justice to plan subsequent actions tailored to the specific needs of the UN staff community in New York.

“In order to frame the conversation, we have already initiated a series of expert talks that aim to provide historical context regarding the scale and gravity of the transatlantic slave trade, the meaning and persistence of systemic racism, but also the outstanding cultural richness and contribution of the African diaspora around the world”.

Despite the inherent difficulties caused by social distancing, she said, “we will continue to find creative ways to encourage colleagues to have the difficult conversations that enable us to overcome the challenge of racism in the workplace.”

In his letter to UN staff, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last June, “The position of the UN on racism is crystal clear: this scourge violates the UN Charter and debases our core values.”

Ian Richards, former President of the Coordinating Committee of International Staff Unions and Associations, and an economist at UNCTAD in Geneva, told IPS: “The survey has shown a problem exists, and not just based on skin color but mainly on nationality, which for an organization called the United Nations is worrying.” Therefore, in fixing this, management needs to recognize that each country, culture and duty station experiences racism in different forms, whether linked to slavery, colonialism, immigration, national rivalries, or conflicts. Each of them needs its own treatment. He added, “We look forward to working with the Secretary-General to solve this problem.”

Photo. Third Committee of the General Assembly, United Nations, New York discussing drafts resolutions on the elimination of racial discrimination. @ United Nations

See Staff Surveys Reveal Widespread Racism at the United Nations