Leadership Dialogue 2023
Personal use of
social media:
How is my online
behaviour?
LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
2 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
Welcome
Thank you for taking part in the 2023 United Nations Leadership Dialogue. This annual exercise is a unique
opportunity for you and your colleagues to discuss meaningful subjects that impact how each of us carries
out our daily work.
Each year, senior leaders conduct a guided Dialogue with their teams, who in turn, lead their own direct
reports in a similar discussion until every United Nations staff member has participated.
The rst Leadership Dialogue in 2013 focused on what it means to be an international civil servant. Last
year’s Dialogue centred around the new United Nations Values and Behaviours Framework.
This year’s topic covers the personal use of social media. The discussion will explore how we, as interna-
tional civil servants, can use social media responsibly, exercising freedom of expression and communicat-
ing about our lives, including our work, while fullling United Nations obligations. Responsible use of social
media is critical in an era of misinformation and disinformation. We do not want to inadvertently spread
misinformation – and countering disinformation requires media and information literacy, as well as good
judgment.
The Dialogue will seek to remind each of us of our important role as the face of the Organization, including
on social media. Our online behaviour must reect the principles and values enshrined in the United Nations
Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Standards of Conduct for the International Civil
Service.
I encourage your active participation in this Leadership Dialogue.
António Guterres
Secretary-General
3 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
Table of Contents
Welcome to the United Nations Leadership Dialogue ................................................ 2
Preparing for the Dialogue ....................................................................................................... 4
Planning the Session .................................................................................................................. 8
Leading the Dialogue................................................................................................................... 12
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 12
Opening Activity .................................................................................................................................... 18
Scenario Discussions ....................................................................................................... ........... 19
Scenario 1: Omar’s Instagram activities: in ocial or personal capacity? ...................................... 22
Scenario 2: Sepideh’s Twitter activities: legitimate complaints or prohibited conduct? ................ 27
Scenario 3: Gumisai’s Facebook activities: information sharing or leaking? .................................. 31
Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................... 34
Appendices ...................................................................................................................................... 35
Appendix A: Leadership Dialogue Sign-In Sheet ................................................................................ 35
Appendix C: Session Leader’s Feedback Form (Online) .................................................................... 36
Appendix D: List of Resources ............................................................................................................. 37
Appendix E: Certication of Completion/Roll Up of Session Feedback Forms (Online) ................ 39
Leadership Dialogue Contact Information ....................................................................... 40
4 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
Preparing for the Dialogue
Welcome to the 2023 Leadership Dialogue.
This year’s topic, Personal use of social media: How is my online behaviour? was selected based on requests
over the years from Leadership Dialogue participants.
The ever evolving and growing cyberworld in which we presently live has been enhanced in the post-pan-
demic era. At the same time, an explosion of information through social media that allows real time dissem-
ination has at times also hampered its quality even as its quantity has grown exponentially.
In this time of misinformation (the accidental spread of inaccurate information) and disinformation (inac-
curate information that is intended to deceive), all users of social media need to increase information lit-
eracy and exercise careful judgment in what they post and repost. This need for care and responsibility is
even more important for UN staff and other personnel. We consider it timely to remind to one another that
there can be a thin line between exercising our freedom of expression through social media and meeting
our obligations as international civil servants.
This Leadership Dialogue is not designed to prevent us from expressing who we are but to remind us that
we are the face of the Organization with ensuing obligations. This Dialogue is not a prohibition against the
personal use of social media but a call to do it responsibly.
The 2023 Dialogue content was developed by the Ethics Oce with feedback from several partner oces.
We have included again one video version of the scenarios, having received positive feedback from partic-
ipants on their use in the 2022 Dialogue.
In consideration of your time and schedule, this Leader’s Guide provides step-by-step instructions and
specic materials for you to use. As in the past, the scenarios are mainly based on real cases, the details
of which have been anonymized. Managers should feel free to supplement and include personal examples
and relevant situations from their own experience.
If you require additional support for this session, or wish to supplement these materials, please contact the
Ethics Oce at ethicsoce@un.org for guidance.
Thank you,
Elia Yi Armstrong
Director
United Nations Ethics Oce
5 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
How the Leadership Dialogues Work
The discussion you are about to host is one of hundreds that will take place throughout the United Nations
Secretariat. Here is the order in which they will be conducted:
1. The Secretary-General will launch this year’s Dialogue.
2. Heads of Entities (including Departments and Missions) will host Dialogue sessions with their own
direct reports or supervisees.
3. Directors, Chiefs, Heads of Field Oces, Country Representatives, etc. will host Dialogue sessions with
their direct reports or supervisees.
4. Team Leaders will host Dialogue sessions with their direct reports or supervisees, if not already included
in previous discussions, and so on.
5. Our goal is for all international and national UN personnel globally to participate in a Leadership Dialogue
session each year.
By the time you host your own session, you should have already participated in a session with your own
manager. This way, you will have a sense of how the Dialogue works, and you will have had an opportunity
to think through the activities, topics of discussion and questions that may arise. Please note that all man-
agers are responsible for hosting and reporting on their sessions by 31 December 2023. So, if you have
managers who report to you, please schedule your session as soon as possible after your supervisors have
completed their session with you, to ensure all managers in your Entity complete their sessions on time.
All Heads of Entity will be asked to certify to the Secretary-General, through Appendix E, that all managers
in their Entity have completed and reported on their dialogue sessions by 31 December 2023.
If you are holding this Dialogue where remote working arrangements are in place or where colleagues are
usually on mission travel, we ask you to exercise exibility. Please carry out the Dialogue through appro-
priate means such as video/audio teleconferencing through Microsoft Teams
1
or through a telephone call
in areas with low bandwidth. If the sessions are conducted remotely and sign-in sheets cannot be used,
please remember to appoint a colleague to note down names of participants to ensure accurate reporting.
Multilingualism: The United Nations is a multilingual environment. While different duty stations will
have specic languages that are mandated for ocial communication, not all colleagues will be able to
express themselves freely and passionately in them. As the Leadership Dialogue is meant to encourage the
exchange of ideas, we encourage you to embrace the use of multiple languages in conducting the Dialogue
to maximize participation e.g., by using translators. The Ethics Oce, on its part, will endeavour to increase
the languages in which the Dialogue is available.
1 For DOs and DON’Ts of videoconferencing, please check out this video:
https://iseek.un.org/article/fun-video-teaches-Dos-andDonts-Videoconferencing.
6 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
PERSONAL USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Most of us have used social media in one form or another, whether to: tweet a commentary to a story that
we agree with, like a Facebook post of vacation pictures from family and friends or make a TikTok video
about our favourite dance routine. Instagram, WeChat, etc, the list of social media is endless. The UN has
its own internal social media platform, Yammer.
While social media can be a helpful tool to connect with friends, family, and the society that we live in, it
can also be a powerful medium for exercising our freedom of expression on other matters that are dear to
our heart.
There is, however, a line where our freedom of expression, when not properly exercised, could cross over
into interfering with our obligations as international civil servants. Staff regulation 1.2(f) states,
“While staff members’ personal views and convictions, including their political and religious convic-
tions, remain inviolable, staff members shall ensure that those views and convictions do not adversely
affect their ocial duties or the interests of the United Nations. They shall conduct themselves at all
times in a manner betting their status as international civil servants and shall not engage in any activ-
ity that is incompatible with the proper discharge of their duties with the United Nations. They shall
avoid any action and, in particular, any kind of public pronouncement that may adversely reect on their
status, or on the integrity, independence and impartiality that are required by that status”
In this Leadership Dialogue, we explore this thin line between our freedom of expression and our obliga-
tions as international civil servants on social media. We ask:
1. When does freedom of expression turn to inappropriate public political partisanship, partiality, or
criticism?
2. When does voicing personal opinion cross into prohibited conduct such as online bullying and
harassment?
3. When does sharing of UN-related information become leaking of condential ocial information?
We shall review why international civil servants have an additional obligation of discretion in relation to put-
ting their own opinions out in the public, when it comes to contentious or sensitive matters that relate to the
UN. Our online behaviour should be guided by the same norms that guide our oine behaviour. Online ano-
nymity should not be an excuse for partiality, incivility, or unauthorized disclosure of protected information.
7 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
KEY LESSONS FROM THIS YEAR’S DIALOGUE
This Leadership Dialogue will help us better understand the following topics:
1. The difference between personal and ocial use of social media.
2. The relationship between freedom of expression and political impartiality.
3. The pitfalls of voicing personal opinions and prohibited conduct online.
4. The distinction between sharing of information and leaking of classied information.
5. The obligations of international civil servants vis-à-vis public pronouncements on contentious matters.
YOUR ROLE AS THE SESSION FACILITATOR
This Leadership Dialogue is designed to encourage participants to understand how we can personally use
social media responsibly, in a manner that upholds our values and standards as international civil servants.
You are the facilitator of the discussion.
Your role is to guide discussion, ask questions, encourage, and engage participants. Remember that your
role is not to lecture or to provide answers but to guide the learning experience in a way that allows your
team to arrive at important understandings on their own and raise questions with each other. Participants
often leave a Dialogue session remembering points that they and their co-workers made much more vividly
than those made by the facilitator.
Discussions like these can increase trust and understanding and prompt further conversations afterwards.
Be prepared for one or more members of your group to approach and ask questions or report concerns.
The scenarios you will work through with participants sometimes relate to dicult and sensitive topics;
what is important is that we have open discussions, not that you have all the answers.
Each of the discussion topics will give you an opportunity to encourage participants to express themselves
and for you to listen. However, the overarching message we would like to emphasize to all participants in
this year’s Leadership Dialogue is that we have an obligation to ensure that our public pronouncements,
including through social media, are aligned with our duties and status as international civil servants.
8 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
Planning the Session
The materials in this Guide are designed to be used in a single session with a group of 10 to 25 participants.
If you have more than 25 participants, we recommend conducting two or more separate sessions. The
actual programme (without the introduction) is designed to take about one-and-a-half hours, but you are
free to use more time, as you deem necessary.
We encourage you to conduct the Dialogue session either face-to-face or remotely, using video conferenc-
ing. We are providing you with a PowerPoint presentation to view and follow along with participants in the
Dialogue.
As some of the topics can be dicult to discuss, we encourage you, as the facilitator, to create a setting where
the participants feel at ease. You will see below that we suggest some ground rules to help you with this.
Furthermore, some scenarios may evoke strong opinions or emotions, borne from personal experiences,
which some colleagues may want to share. Here are some tips to help you navigate instances of “venting”
without losing focus on the Dialogue:
After the colleague has shared their experience:
•
Thank them for being open and sharing it with others.
•
Acknowledge the experience and show empathy towards the colleague: “I understand why you are
frustrated/angry about this. Unfortunately, some of us may have had similar experiences.”
•
Refocus the conversation by encouraging all to look ahead: “Since we cannot go back in time, let’s use
this Dialogue as an opportunity to discuss what we, individually and as a team, can do to ensure these
types of negative experiences are not repeated.”
If the colleague insists on discussing their experience:
•
Thank them and indicate that you would like to hear from other colleagues.
•
Offer the colleague to have a one-to-one conversation with them after the Dialogue is nished. For tips
on how to structure the follow-up conversation, you can refer to the Harvard Business Review article
‘How to listen when someone is venting’ by Mark Goulston (May 2013).
9 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
Pre-session checklist
> To ensure that all participants complete the Dialogue sessions, and you can report by 31 December
2023, plan to lead the session no more than a few weeks after your supervisor has completed their
session with you.
DATE TASK
1-2 weeks
ahead
1. Read this Guide and review the discussion topics.
2. Prepare an example from your own experience to discuss in the opening activity.
3. Review the following resources:
> Staff Regulation 1.2 (f)
> United Nations Secretariat guidelines for the personal use of social media
> Twitter guidelines for UN senior staff and spokespeople
> Department of Public Information social media guidelines
> ST/SGB/2019/5, Institutional use of social media
4. Invite participants to the session.
Reserve the room/location and any equipment needed. If you are holding this Dialogue where remote
working arrangements are in place where colleagues are usually on mission travel, we ask you to
exercise exibility. Please carry out the Dialogue through appropriate means, such as video/audio
teleconferencing through Microsoft Teams1, or through a telephone call in areas with low bandwidth.
If the sessions are conducted remotely and sign-in sheets cannot be used, do not forget to appoint
a colleague to note down names of participants to ensure accurate reporting. Please ask team
members if they have any needs related to disability or working hours or any other requirements that
need to be addressed, to enable them to participate.
Consult your supervisor or the Ethics Oce, if you have questions about the materials or the session.
1-3 days
ahead
1. Send a reminder to participants about the date and time for the session.
2. Distribute the Participant’s Guide to participants.
3. Think about how you will choose the scenarios to be discussed (see Scenario Discussions below).
4. Conrm availability of the room and test any equipment needed for displaying the PowerPoint
and video.
5. Have available the “Notes View” of the accompanying PowerPoint presentation, which contains
the Leader’s script.
Dialogue
Day
1. Conduct the Dialogue session with participants.
2. NEW: Ask the participants to assess the Dialogue session facilitator using Appendix F
(preview available in Participants Guide).
3. Email the attendance sheet (Appendix A) to your Focal Point.
4. Submit Feedback form (Appendix C) online using the provided links.
5. Forward a list of any questions you were not able to answer during the session to the Ethics
Oce for follow-up. (You may also use Appendix C for this).
10 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
Session plan
> Follow the session plan as described in the table below:
SECTION ACTIVITIES MATERIALS TIME
1. Introduction
•
Participants sign in (or designated
monitor records names of
participants for remote sessions).
•
Explain why the United Nations is
conducting this Dialogue.
•
Review the session agenda.
•
Give a brief introduction to the
personal use of social media.
•
Appendix A
•
Opening
Remarks
(slides 1-2)
10 minutes
2. Opening
Activity:
A Personal
Example
•
Share a brief story about a
situation you experienced or
encountered, related to the
personal use of social media.
•
Highlights of
personal story
(slide 13)
10 minutes
3. Scenario
Discussions
•
Discuss at least two scenarios,
using the materials provided.
•
Two/three
scenario
discussions
(slides 14-30
plus video)
65 minutes
4. Conclusion
•
Make closing comments and ask
for last questions.
•
Thank participants for attending.
•
Closing remarks
(slides 31-33)
5 minutes
TOTAL TIME
90 minutes
11 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
Post-session checklist
> Once the session is complete, please do the following:
SESSION LEADERS/FACILITATORS
1. Collect and send the completed sign-in sheet (Appendix A) to your Entity’s approved Leadership
Dialogue Focal Point.
2. Fill the leader’s feedback form (Appendix C) online using the links provided.
3. Send an email to the Ethics Oce following up on any questions asked during the session you were
unable to answer. You may, alternatively, submit these questions using Appendix C.
FOCAL POINTS
4. Once you have collected all sign-in sheets (Appendix A) for your Entity, summarize the informa-
tion using Appendix E as a guide (see Appendices section of this Guide), and submit Appendix E
online using the links provided. This will serve as certication that your Entity has concluded the
Leadership Dialogue.
5. Do not submit the sign-in sheets (Appendix A) to the Ethics Oce.
6. Remind participants to submit Appendix F (preview available in the Appendices section of the
Participant’s Guide), which assesses the session facilitators. Reminders can be sent through an
entity-wide email broadcast, mission intranet, or other similar means.
12 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
Leading the Dialogue
Introduction
10 MINUTES
> As participants arrive, ask them to sign in using the form provided (see Appendix A) or a designated
monitor records names of participants for remote sessions.
> Begin displaying the accompanying PowerPoint presentation, SLIDE 1.
> At the scheduled time for the session to begin, welcome the participants, and thank them for
attending.
> Display SLIDE 2; read or paraphrase the following:
Welcome
“Welcome to this year’s Leadership Dialogue—thank you for making the time to be here today. I’d like to introduce
today’s session by sharing with you the background and context for the 2023 Leadership Dialogue.”
“Each year, the Leadership Dialogues provide us with an opportunity to discuss topics with great meaning for our
work. This year’s topic is: Personal Use of Social Media.
Discussing and understanding this is important because as international civil servants, we have obligations to
align our public pronouncements with our obligations as UN staff members and as international civil servants.”
> Proceed to SLIDE 3; read or paraphrase the following:
Ground rules
To help ensure we have a good discussion today, let’s agree on some ground rules for how we will work together.
•
Please participate, and help others to participate too, for example by listening as well as speaking.
•
Feel free to ask any questions, at any time—questions are good!
•
Here are some ground rules (from www.hsdinstitute.org) which are useful when discussing complex subjects
where people may have different opinions:
•
Turn judgement into curiosity (that is, rather than judging someone for what they say, ask yourself why they
might be saying that).
•
Turn disagreement into shared exploration (that is, if there is a difference of opinion, use it as an opportunity to
explore different perspectives and experiences).
•
Turn defensiveness into self-reection (that is, if something someone says makes you feel defensive, ask
yourself what it is about you that is making you react in that way).
•
Turn assumptions into questions (that is, rather than assume what someone means, ask). Are there any other
ground rules you would like us to be following?
13 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
> Proceed to SLIDE 4; read or paraphrase the following:
“Sometimes the Leadership Dialogue discussions bring up dicult issues which you may not want to discuss with
your colleagues.
If there is anything that comes up in this Dialogue that you do not feel comfortable discussing with others, please
speak with me after the session.
If you do not feel comfortable speaking with me, there are many others you can turn to such as the OHR and the
Ethics Oce.
Another resource, published by the Ethics Oce, is The Roadmap. It is a guide for those seeking assistance and is
available on the Ethics Oce iSeek page.”
> Proceed to SLIDE 5; read or paraphrase the following:
Overview
“Our colleagues at the Ethics Oce have developed materials to guide our discussion. I have already participated
in a similar session, so I am familiar with the materials. I think you will nd them interesting.
Here is an overview of our session today, which will take us about 90 minutes in total:
1. I will give a brief reminder of our obligations as international civil servants.
2. We will then have an initial discussion about the personal use of social media. —I will share a personal example
as a starting point.
3.
Then we will discuss two or three scenarios based on or related to the personal use of social media. We will
most likely discuss two, but if there is time left, we can discuss a third one.
4.
We will end by considering what our responsibilities as international civil servants are when using social media
personally.
Any further questions at this point?
Let us get started.”
> Proceed to SLIDE 6; read or paraphrase the following:
Introduction
Most of us have used social media in one form or another, whether it is to: tweet a commentary to a story that we
agree with, like a Facebook post of vacation pictures from family and friends or make a TikTok video about our
favourite dance routine. Instagram, WeChat, the UN’s Yammer etc, the list of social media is endless.
While social media can be a helpful tool to connect with friends, family, and the society that we live in, it can also
be a powerful medium for exercising our freedom of expression on other matters that are dear to our hearts.
There is, however, a line where our freedom of expression, when not properly exercised, could cross over into
interfering with our obligations as international civil servants.
14 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
> Advance to SLIDE 7; read or paraphrase the following:
“While staff members’ personal views and convictions, including their political and religious convictions, remain
inviolable, staff members shall ensure that those views and convictions do not adversely affect their ocial duties
or the interests of the United Nations.
They shall conduct themselves at all times in a manner betting their status as international civil servants and shall
not engage in any activity that is incompatible with the proper discharge of their duties with the United Nations.
They shall avoid any action and, in particular, any kind of public pronouncement that may adversely reect on their
status, or on the integrity, independence and impartiality that are required by that status”
Staff regulation 1.2 f
> Advance to SLIDE 8; read or paraphrase the following:
In this leadership dialogue, we shall explore this thin line between our freedom of expression and our obligations
as international civil servants on social media. We ask:
1. When does freedom of expression turn to inappropriate public political partisanship, partiality, or criticism?
2. When does voicing personal opinion cross into prohibited conduct such as online bullying and harassment?
3. When does sharing of UN-related information become leaking of condential ocial information?
We shall review why international civil servants have an additional obligation of discretion in relation to putting
their own opinions out in the public, when it comes to contentious or sensitive matters that relate to the UN.
> Advance to SLIDE 9; read or paraphrase the following:
Personalvs.OcialUse
First, I think an important point is the difference between ocial vs. personal use of social media. This
Leadership Dialogue will focus on our personal use of social media, i.e., staff members posting, tweeting, liking
etc. in their private capacity through their personal accounts, as opposed to doing so as part of their ocial duties
through their ocial accounts.
The following diagram, developed by our colleagues in the UNFPA, gives some guidance on what amounts to
private use as distinguished from ocial use.
15 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
16 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
> Advance to SLIDE 10; read or paraphrase the following:
United Nations Secretariat guidelines for the personal use of social media, February 2019
The UN Secretariat guidelines show us that even when used personally, social media can reect on the Organization:
“UN staff have an important role to play as the face of the Organization, including on social media. The UN respects
the inviolability of staff members’ personal views and convictions, including their political and religious convictions,
as well as their right to freedom of expression through their own personal social media accounts. As international
civil servants, staff members are required to be mindful at all times that their conduct on social media must be
consistent with the principles set out in the United Nations Charter and must comply with the United Nations
Standards of Conduct for the International Civil Service, United Nations Staff Regulations and Rules, Status, basic
rights and duties of United Nations staff members, and with the Media Guidelines for United Nations Ocials.
Staff are encouraged to promote a better understanding of the objectives and work of the Organization through
social media and to advocate for the ideals, principles and values enshrined in the United Nations Charter, the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and other decisions taken by the Organization. Any comments or statements
posted by staff on personal social media should be consistent with the ideals of peace, respect for fundamental
human rights, the dignity and worth of the human person and the equal rights of men and women, respect for all
cultures, and must not discriminate against any individual or group of individuals.
A staff member’s activity on personal social media, even when unrelated to ocial duties, may reect on the
Organization and may expose the United Nations to reputational risk. As international civil servants, staff have a duty to
be and appear to be both independent and impartial. As such, staff must ensure that the expression of their personal
views and convictions on social media does not adversely affect their ocial duties, reect poorly on their status as
international civil servants, or call into question their duty of loyalty, impartiality and responsibility to the Organization.”
> Advance to SLIDE 11; read or paraphrase the following:
The guidelines
These are the guidelines
1. Think before posting and use common sense.
2. Even if a disclaimer is added, such as “views expressed are my own”, your behaviour on social media is not exempt
from the impartiality and conduct required, and betting, of an international civil servant. Help protect the reputation
and integrity of the United Nations as a whole, as well as the privacy, security and well-being of its employees.
3. The use of the name and emblem of the United Nations to further personal or third-party interests is
prohibited as it is reserved for the ocial purposes of the United Nations.
4. Be aware of privacy settings and manage them accordingly.
5. Even if it is not stated publicly on your social media prole, your status as a UN staff member is not private.
6. Remember that ocial information that has not been made public cannot be disclosed through social media,
except with prior authorization.
7. Don’t use a professional email address to set up personal social media accounts.
8. Don’t use a pseudonym or false name to make comments or publish content related to the United Nations.
9. Be mindful of sharing and liking posts from other accounts, which could be interpreted as an endorsement of
the facts and opinions such posts represent.
10. Respect the privacy rights of colleagues, partners, and beneciaries, particularly when posting photos and videos.
11. If you’re not sure about whether your social media activity is consistent with your obligations as an
international civil servant, consult your supervisor, the Executive Oce, the local administrative or human
resources oce, or the Ethics Oce for advice and guidance.
17 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
> Advance to SLIDE 12; read or paraphrase the following:
Should I post this?
Our colleagues in UNDP developed a diagram that describes the thought process that we could consider prior to
posting content on our personal social media.
18 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
Opening Activity
10 MINUTES
> Advance to SLIDE 13; read or paraphrase the following:
“Let’s move on now to our opening activity. We have about 10 minutes to work on this.
For this rst activity, I’d like to share with you a personal story relating to the personal use of social media.”
> Tell the participants details about a time you dealt with/ experienced/ encountered a situation or issue
relating to the personal use of social media connected to the United Nations or its interests
> Explain how the situation was resolved and any action you took.
> In your example, address the following questions:
•
What were the details of the situation?
•
What did the situation relate to?
•
What did you do?
•
What factors did you consider in deciding what to do?
•
What was the impact of what you did?
•
What did you learn from the experience?
> Ask participants to suggest what they would do if they found themselves facing a similar dilemma.
> Ask any further questions as needed to engage interaction and sharing of ideas.
> Thank participants for their thoughts on your story.
19 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
Scenario Discussions
There are three scenarios included in this Leader’s Guide. Each scenario is designed so that it can be com-
pleted within 25–30 minutes. Choose two scenarios to discuss. If there is time left over, discuss a third one.
How you choose the scenarios is up to you. You can:
•
Make the decision yourself.
•
Ask participants in advance to let you know which scenarios they would like to discuss (all the scenarios
are included in the Participant’s Guide).
•
Agree on the day with participants which scenarios they would like to discuss (please note, however, that
the agenda for the session is limited, and reaching agreement on the day will take up valuable discussion
time).
For each scenario, guiding questions have been designed to bring out new learning points. The purpose of
this exercise is to have a meaningful dialogue with colleagues regarding the personal use of social media,
not to cover all the material in detail or to nd the right answers. Indeed, while talking points are provided,
there are no “perfect” answers to these topics. These are not easy issues for most people to discuss in a
group setting.
We suggest the following approach when leading each discussion:
•
Encourage peer learning or sharing by soliciting the opinions of participants.
•
Be aware that some participants will be more comfortable than others when speaking in a group.
•
Encourage the quieter members to participate by asking them to offer their views on the case being
discussed.
•
Emphasize the importance of each staff member’s role in observing UN guidelines relating to social
media use.
•
Should you nd yourself unable to answer a particular question, say to the group that you do not have the
answer, ask if anyone else in the group has a suggestion, or note the question, and after the workshop is
completed, promptly forward any unanswered questions to the Ethics Oce.
There are discussion and follow-up questions included in this Guide for each scenario. Below is a list of
general questions you can also draw on to encourage open dialogue:
•
What do you think about the situation?
•
Has anyone faced a similar situation they would like to share with the group? How would you approach
the situation?
•
Where could you go for help or advice?
•
What do you think is the right thing to do in this situation?
20 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
The table below shows the scenarios for discussion:
DISCUSSION TOPIC FORMAT SUGGESTED TIME
1.
Omar’s Instagram activities:
in ocial or personal capacity?
Written scenario 25–30 minutes
2.
Sepideh’s Twitter activities:
legitimate complaints or prohibited conduct?
Script 25–30 minutes
3.
Gumisai’s Facebook activities:
information sharing or leaking?
Video 25–30 minutes
Instructions
For these scenarios, project the PowerPoint presentation as you lead the Dialogue. It serves to guide you
and help your group follow along in the discussions. The Participant’s Guide contains the discussion sce-
narios, resources and references related to each scenario. Follow the steps below:
1. Introduce the scenario: Each scenario includes a small introduction you can read or paraphrase to the group.
2. Read or view: For scenario 1, display the discussion topic on PowerPoint and read aloud to participants,
or even better, invite someone else to read it aloud. For scenario 2, display the discussion topic on
PowerPoint and ask four people to each take the part of one of the characters. For scenario 3, show the
video then project the PowerPoint presentation. You can also distribute a print version of each scenario
to participants.
3. Ask questions: Ask a question and allow participants to discuss it fully before moving on to the next
one. A suggestion: Give people a few minutes to reect on the questions individually, before asking for
comments. Allowing some reection time for everyone may encourage less assertive colleagues to feel
more condent about participating.
4. Wait: Give participants time to consider each question and potential answers. It can take several sec-
onds for a person to hear a question and formulate an answer. Ask for volunteers to offer their thoughts.
Encourage group members to share what they would do if faced with a similar situation.
5. Include: Observe who is talking and who is not. Try to encourage those who are not talking, by asking “Is
there anybody who hasn’t yet spoken who would like to say something?”
6. Multilingualism: In duty stations where colleagues speak multiple languages with varying levels of ease,
ensure to have a multilingual facilitator to encourage participation from colleagues who may not be
comfortable speaking in the dominant language being used in the session.
7. Conclude: Once you have discussed each of the questions, conclude by reviewing the key discussion
points provided. If participants are still actively discussing, say, “Let’s hear one more comment before
we move forward.” After discussing the individual topics, close with concluding remarks, and thank
everyone for their participation.
21 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
Introduction to Scenarios
5 MINUTES
For this activity, you will read/view and discuss a scenario with the group.
> Advance to SLIDE 14; read or paraphrase:
“Let’s move on now to the scenarios. The scenarios we will discuss today relate to the personal use of social media
and how it can impact on our duties and status as international civil servants. We will discuss two scenarios and, if
there is time, we will discuss a third. We have about 25 minutes to discuss each scenario.
All the scenarios can be found in the Participant’s Guide which you have already received. Then say either:
•
Let us start with scenario 1/2/3.
Or ask:
•
Which scenario would you like to discuss rst?”
22 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
Scenario 1: Omar’s Instagram activities: in ocial or personal capacity?
25–30 MINUTES
> Advance to SLIDES 15-17; invite a participant to read to the group. This scenario can also be found in
the Participant’s Guide.
Nala received an ocial email from her colleague, Omar. Nala noticed that Omar’s UN email signature block
includes a link to his personal Instagram account and a tagline that reads “Together we can!” along with a small
banner underneath:
Omar had recently joined the UN regional oce in his home country. Among his responsibilities as a Public Information
Ocer is taking photographs of UN events and ocials. Prior to joining the UN, Omar was a photographer and a politi-
cal activist. He remains a freelance photographer in his personal time and is still very interested in politics.
There are upcoming national elections, and the entire country is mobilized. Civil society organizations as well as
new and unknown political parties are competing for attention and power. Omar belongs to the Horizon Party, a
long-established political party that has not held oce since the military coup in the late 1990s. The Party’s slogan
is “Together we can!” Although Omar is excited about the developments in his country, he is careful not to express
his political views in his personal social media activities.
Nala is curious about her new colleague, so she clicks on his Instagram link. Omar seems like an outgoing, fun per-
son with a lot of friends. Nala nds a link to Omar’s personal website, which includes a bio and refers to his current
UN position. His website showcases photographs he has taken in his ocial capacity as a Public Information Ocer
and in his personal capacity as a freelancer; the bottom of the page includes the disclaimer: “Photographs © 2021
Omar Rodriguez”.
Nala also notices essays, photographs, and videos on the human rights situation in his home country (their duty sta-
tion) and a video promoting the Horizon Party’s presidential candidate. Omar opines in a caption under the video that
the candidate is the best hope for protecting human rights in the country. The page also includes a variety of articles
analysing and criticizing the political landscape and the dangers to human rights posed by the other candidates.
23 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
DISCUSSION
> Advance to SLIDE 18. Use the following questions to guide your discussion. The questions are also
included in the Participant’s Guide. Ask for volunteers to contribute their views and experiences.
DISCUSSION
QUESTION FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS IMPORTANT POINTS
1. What is
happening in
this scenario?
•
What personal views does Omar
include in his ocial UN signature
block?
•
What information does Omar
combine between his ocial and
personal capacities in his Instagram
account?
•
What do you think of Omar’s public
expression of endorsement of a
political candidate?
•
•Do you think that Omar is publicly
supporting criticism against the
host government or its policies?
•
What if Omar had posted this
information on his UN Yammer
account instead? Would your
opinion be different?
•
What if Omar’s social media
contains controversial posts from
his days before joining the UN; what
should he do about them?
•
When using UN information
communication technology resources
and data, which include email signature
blocks, to discharge ocial functions,
staff members should ensure that such
use is consistent with their obligations as
staff members. ST/SGB/2004/15, s. 3.1;
s.1 and commentary to s.1
•
Heads of entities are responsible for
approving the establishment and/or
continuing existence of institutional
social media accounts; providing
guidance on the use of institutional
social media accounts and overseeing
compliance by staff members and
ensuring that the information in the
database held by the Department of
Global Communications remains current
and correct. ST/SGB/2019/5, para. 3.1
•
Even if a disclaimer is added, such as
“views expressed are my own”, your
behaviour on social media is not exempt
from the impartiality and conduct
required, and betting, of an international
civil servant. Guidelines for the personal
use of social media
2. What is Omar’s
primary
functional
responsibility
for the UN
•
Who owns the copyright of UN work
product, including photographs?
•
Can those photos show up on
personal social media platforms?
•
All rights, including title, copyright, and
patent rights, in any work performed by
staff members as part of their ocial
duties shall be vested in the United
Nations. Staff Rule 1.9
•
This includes pictures taken. Any use of
such work product must include proper
attribution.
24 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
DISCUSSION
QUESTION FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS IMPORTANT POINTS
3. What is Omar’s
outside
activity? What
does it mean
for staff not
to use their
oce,orthe
knowledge
gained from
theirocial
function for
private gain?
•
Could Omar’s outside activity create
a functional conict of interest?
•
Do you know which outside
activities require prior approval?
•
Do you think Omar’s freelance
photography and political activities
amount to outside activities that
require prior approval?
•
Do you know who approves outside
activities?
•
What was Omar using to promote
his photo gallery?
•
Can staff use their access to the UN
compound or its ocials for private
gain?
•
Can staff use their work product for
private gain, how?
•
Outside activities (with or without pay)
that relate to the purpose, activities or
interests of the United Nations require
prior authorization. Staff Regs 1.2 (o) (p),
Staff Rule 1.2 (r), ST/AI/2000/13,
ST/IC/2006/30
4. Can Omar
belong to
a political
party? Can
Omar support
a political
candidate?
Can Omar
criticize his
government or
government’s
policies?
•
What does the principle of
independence mean as an
international civil servant?
•
What does the principle
of impartiality mean as an
international civil servant?
•
What is the difference between
belonging to a political party and
actively supporting a political
candidate?
•
Does Omar advocate for any party
or candidate on his website?
•
Does Omar demonstrate his
opposition to government parties
and policies on his website?
•
Could his aliation with the UN be
used by the opposition for political
reasons?
•
Are staff members not allowed to
voice any opinion whatsoever on
current events?
•
Staff members must ensure that their
participation in any political activity is
consistent with and does not reect
adversely upon the independence and
impartiality required by their status as
international civil servants. Staff Reg 1.2
(f), (h); Staff Rule 1.2 (s)
•
Staff members are not representatives
of Governments or other entities, nor
are they proponents of their policies.
They should not interfere in the policies
or affairs of Governments. Staff do not
have the freedom of private persons to
take sides or to express their convictions
publicly on controversial matters, either
individually or as members of a group,
irrespective of the medium used. At
the same time, it is understood that
international civil servants may speak
freely in support of their organizations’
policies. Standards of conduct for the
international civil service paras 8, 9, 33
•
Staff members may quote public
statements by the Secretary General
that reect the UN’s position on current
events and issues.
25 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
DISCUSSION
QUESTION FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS IMPORTANT POINTS
5. Who owns the
information
that Omar
posts on
social media
platforms?
Should Omar
include his UN
aliationin
his personal
accounts?
•
When restricting privacy settings,
does that mean posts and photos
will remain private?
•
When a member of the public
notices a staff member’s UN
aliation, how do you think that
impacts them? What expectation do
you think they have?
•
A staff member’s activity on personal
social media, even when unrelated
to ocial duties, may reect on the
Organization and may expose the
United Nations to reputational risk. As
international civil servants, staff have
a duty to be and appear to be both
independent and impartial. As such, staff
must ensure that the expres¬sion of their
personal views and convictions on social
media does not adversely affect their
o¬cial duties, reect poorly on their
status as international civil servants or
call into question their duty of loyalty,
impartiality and responsibility to the
Organization. Guidelines for the personal
use of social media
KEY MESSAGES
> Once the discussion is complete, move to SLIDE 19, wrap up by reading or paraphrasing the key
messages, and emphasizing any other important points that have come out of the discussion:
•
As international civil servants, staff have a duty to be and appear to be both independent and impartial.
•
Staff members are not representatives of Governments or other entities, nor are they proponents of their
policies. They should not interfere in the policies or affairs of Governments.
•
Staff do not have the freedom of private persons to take sides or to express their convictions publicly on
controversial matters, either individually or as members of a group, irrespective of the medium used. At the
same time, it is understood that international civil servants may speak freely in support of their organizations’
policies.
•
Staff must ensure that the expression of their personal views and convictions on social media does not adversely
affect their ocial duties, reect poorly on their status as international civil servants, or call into question their
duty of loyalty, impartiality, and responsibility to the Organization.
•
Outside activities (with or without pay) that relate to the purpose, activities or interests of the United Nations
require prior authorization.
26 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
RELATED RESOURCES AND REFERENCES
Related resources and references are included in the Participant’s Guide as well.
•
ST/SGB/2023/1, Staff Regulations 1.2 (f), (h), (o), (p) and 1.3 (a)
•
ST/SGB/2023/1, Staff Rules 1.2 (r), (s), and 1.9
•
ST/SGB/2016/9, Status, basic rights, and duties of United Nations staff members
•
ST/AI/2000/13, Outside activities
•
ST/IC/2006/30, Outside activities
•
Standards of conduct for the international civil service, paragraphs 8, 9 and 33
•
The United Nations Charter, articles 100 and 101
•
United Nations Secretariat Guidelines for the Personal Use of Social Media (2019)
•
ST/SGB/2019/5, Institutional use of social media, paragraph 3.1
•
ST/SGB/2004/15, Use of information and communication technology resources and data, sections 1, 3.1.
> Allow time for participants to share their points of view and ask if there are any questions before
moving onto the next scenario.
27 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
Scenario 2: Sepideh’s Twitter activities:
legitimate complaints or prohibited conduct?
25–30 MINUTES
> Advance to SLIDES 20 - 22. Invite four participants to each read the introduction and one character’s
words to the group. The scenario can also be found in the Participant’s Guide.
James Bello is the Director of the UN Gender Oce in the eld. He has recently recruited a new Senior Gender
Ocer (P-5). Sepideh is outraged over Simone’s selection and her own non-selection. Sepideh has been with the
Gender Oce for three years and has served at the P-4 for seven years, often serving as OiC. She believes she is
better qualied and is convinced the Director is having an affair with Simone.
Sepideh has a personal Twitter account but is careful not to include her UN aliation in her prole. So, she freely
expresses her views through this account.
28 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
DISCUSSION
> Advance to SLIDE 23. Use the following questions to guide your discussion. The questions are also
included in the Participant’s Guide. Ask for volunteers to contribute their views and experiences.
DISCUSSION
QUESTION
FOLLOW UP
QUESTIONS IMPORTANT POINTS
1. What is
happening
in this
scenario?
•
Does it matter that
Sepideh does not
list her UN position
in her prole?
•
Does it matter
that none of the
dialogue includes
the names or
oces about whom
they’re talking?
•
Can this dialogue
spread beyond
these three staff
members? How?
•
Are these
slanderous
comments
or a report of
wrongdoing?
•
How does this
dialogue make
the Organization
appear to anyone
who would read
them? Who could
potentially see
them?
•
Although the names of the Director and P-4 and others
have not been used and Sepideh does not include her UN
aliation in her prole, colleagues following Sepideh have
full view of this dialogue and can easily retweet.
•
In addition, a search of Sepideh’s name can quickly turn
up her LinkedIn prole where her organization and oce
are easily identied.
•
Even if it is not stated publicly on your social media
prole, your status as a UN staff member is not private.
Guidelines for the Personal Use of Social Media
29 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
DISCUSSION
QUESTION
FOLLOW UP
QUESTIONS IMPORTANT POINTS
2. What are
these staff
members
doing
publicly?
•
What are the
responsibilities of
staff vis-a-vis the
public?
•
How does this
exchange reect
on staff and the
Organization?
•
Are staff permitted
to air their personal
grievances against
the Organization
publicly?
•
It is inappropriate for staff to air personal grievances or
criticize the Organization in public Standards of Conduct
para. 37
•
Staff have a continuing responsibility to promote a better
understanding of the objectives and work of the United
Nations. Standards of Conduct para. 35; Guidelines for the
Personal Use of Social Media
•
Personnel who are experiencing or have experienced any
workplace conict, can seek informal and condential
assistance from the Oce of the United Nations
Ombudsman and Mediation Services (UNOMS). Oce of the
United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services website.
•
Staff members who have grievances about the recruitment
process should proceed through the internal justice
system. Article and Chapter XI of the Staff Regulations and
Rules; Oce of Administration of Justice website
3. Could
James or
Simonele
allegations
of
harassment
against
Sepideh and
the others?
•
Do you think
Sepideh’s conduct
is meant to
cause offence or
humiliation?
•
What could be the
consequences
of Sepideh’s
behaviour? What
about Tatiana’s and
Navdeep’s?
•
Harassment is any unwelcome conduct that might
reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence
or humiliation to another person, when such conduct
interferes with work or creates an intimidating, hostile or
offensive work environment. ST/SGB/2019/8 s.1.3
•
Harassment may take the form of words, gestures or
actions which tend to annoy, alarm, abuse, demean,
intimidate, belittle, humiliate, or embarrass another.
Harassment may be directed at one or more persons based
on a shared characteristic or trait. Harassment normally
implies a series of incidents. ST/SGB/2019/8 s.1.4
•
Staff members who have been affected by harassment
might seek a formal or informal resolution, including by
ling a complaint of prohibited conduct to the responsible
ocial ST/SGB/2019/8 s.5; ST/AI/2017/1 s.4.
30 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
LESSONS LEARNT
> Once the discussion is complete, move to SLIDE 24; wrap up by reading or paraphrasing the key
messages, and emphasizing any other important points that have come out of the discussion:
•
Even if it is not stated publicly on your social media prole, your status as a UN staff member is not private.
•
It is inappropriate for staff to air personal grievances or criticize the Organization in public. Staff members who
have grievances about the recruitment process should proceed through the internal justice system.
•
Staff members have a continuing responsibility to promote a better understanding of the objectives and work
of the United Nations.
•
Harassment is any unwelcome conduct that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence
or humiliation to another person, when such conduct interferes with work or creates an intimidating, hostile or
offensive work environment. Harassment may take the form of words, gestures or actions which tend to annoy,
alarm, abuse, demean, intimidate, belittle, humiliate, or embarrass another. Harassment may be directed at one
or more persons based on a shared characteristic or trait. Harassment normally implies a series of incidents.
•
Staff members who have been affected by harassment might seek a formal or informal resolution, including by
ling a complaint of prohibited conduct to the responsible ocial .
RELATED RESOURCES AND REFERENCES
Reated resources and references are included in the Participant’s Guide as well.
•
ST/SGB/2023/1, Staff Regulations 1.2 (g) and (i); Article XI
•
ST/SGB/2023/1, Staff Rules 1.2 (c); Chapter XI
•
ST/SGB/2016/9, Status, basic rights, and duties of United Nations staff members
•
Standards of conduct for the international civil service, paragraphs 35 and 37
•
ST/SGB/2011/7Rev.1 Central review bodies
•
Rules of Procedure Central Review Board
•
ST/SGB/2017/2/Rev.1 Protection against retaliation for reporting misconduct and for cooperating with duly
authorized audits or investigations
•
ST/AI/2017/1 Unsatisfactory conduct, investigations, and the disciplinary process, section 4
•
ST/SGB/2019/8 Addressing discrimination, harassment, including sexual harassment, and abuse of authority,
sections 1.4 and 5
•
United Nations Secretariat Guidelines for the Personal Use of Social Media (2019)
•
Oce of the United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services website
•
Oce of Administration of Justice website
> Allow time for participants to share their points of view and ask if there are any questions before
moving onto the next scenario.
31 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
Scenario 3: Gumisai’s Facebook activities:
information sharing or leaking?
25–30 MINUTES
> Play the video on this link, then show SLIDE 25-28 with the text of the scenario. This scenario can also
be found in the Participant’s Guide.
Gillian has been serving in her UN peacekeeping mission for one and a half years. Her socially conservative duty
station is a hardship one. Although she likes her work and her colleagues, she misses her family, friends, and social
life. Still, she nds ways to stay social and have fun. This Friday is Phillip’s birthday and Gumisai is retiring, and a big
party is planned. Gillian has volunteered to help out and serve drinks. Due to heavy rains, a last-minute decision was
made to hold the party in the warehouse hangar next to the transport section.
Scene: Extremely loud music and raucous behaviour.
Gillian: This is such a great party! So many people are here. Some staff even brought dates!
Gumisai: [shows up at the bar] What a great send-off! I will miss everyone and my life in the eld, the most rewarding
part of my UN career. I want to make sure I get pictures with everyone tonight!
Gillian: Oh, please share your pictures. I want keepsakes from my time in the eld too.
Gumisai: I promise to put them up on my Facebook before I leave.
On Saturday, Gumisai posted to his social media accounts a thank you note to his colleagues for a wonderful send-
off and tagged them in all the pictures from the farewell party; staff sent back well-wishes and shared photos they
had taken at the party.
Scene: Monday morning in the Oce
Chief of Mission Support, CMS: [worried, panicked and holding onto her head] But how did this happen Mr. Singh?
ChiefSecurityOcer,CSO,Mr.Singh: Well, it seems it was a combination of factors. First, because of the rain and
the large number of people expected at the party, a last-minute decision was made to hold the party in the ware-
house. The warehouse contained our new computer shipment, which was still being tagged and inventoried. That
shipment appeared to have been in several of the photos taken the night of the party. Also, several photographs
were taken at the entrance of the warehouse, showing the Transport Section in the background. All those photos
were posted on personal Facebook accounts and shared extensively. It seems thieves used the photos to locate the
Transport Section rst and then the warehouse sometime early Sunday morning. The compound was breached, the
warehouse broken into, and several computers and other supplies were stolen.
CMS: How do you know the photos were used to locate the warehouse?
CSO, Mr. Singh: Because several copies were found on the ground, with markings showing the security positions.
CMS: You will have to deal with the theft Mr. Singh because I’ve been getting calls all morning from the local press
about the loud partying in the UN compound.
This was so irresponsible; our staff should have better sense. We can’t just post anything on our social media
accounts! Where to begin?!?!
32 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
DISCUSSION
> Advance to SLIDE 29. Use the following questions to guide your discussion. The questions are also
included in the Participant’s Guide. Ask for volunteers to contribute their views and experiences.
DISCUSSION
QUESTIONS
FOLLOW UP
QUESTIONS IMPORTANT POINTS
1. What is going
on in this
scenario?
When holding
anunocial
event on UN
premises,
what factors
should be
considered?
•
Is a retirement party an
ocial event?
•
Who approves such parties?
•
Do you think the planners of
the retirement/birthday party
considered how their party
might be received by the local
community being served?
•
Do you think the party and
the behaviour of the partiers
demonstrated respect for the
local population’s suffering
and culture?
•
Staff members must uphold and respect the
principles set out in the Charter, including faith
in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and
worth of the human person and in the equal
rights of men and women. Staff Regulations
1.2 (a); Guidelines for the Personal Use of
Social Media
•
A genuine respect for different peoples,
languages, cultures, customs, and traditions
is a fundamental requirement for all staff. Any
behaviour that is not acceptable in a particular
cultural context must be avoided. Standards of
conduct para. 40
2. How did the
behaviour
of Gumisai,
Gillian and
their UN
colleagues
at the party
reectonthe
Organization?
•
What should UN staff serving
in a conservative duty station
consider in their activities
during their personal time?
•
What is the impression/risk
of having people (incl. UN
staff) engaging in raucous
behaviour in a UN compound
•
What are the risks of damage
to the UN’s image?
•
The private life of a staff member is his/
her own concern, and the Organization
does not intrude upon it. However, there
may be situations in which the behaviour
of staff may reect on the Organization.
Staff must therefore bear in mind that their
conduct and activities outside the workplace,
even if unrelated to ocial duties, can
compromise the image and the interests of
the Organization. Standards of conduct para.
42; Guidelines for the Personal Use of Social
Media
•
The image, reputation and resources of the
organization must be protected at all times.
3. Did Gumisai
and his
colleagues
engage in
a witting or
unwitting
disclosure
of sensitive
(photos)
information?
•
What are staff
responsibilities surrounding
information/photos?
•
Beside potential theft,
can the disclosure of
information/photos create
other operational risks for the
Organization?
•
Staff members may not communicate to any
entity any information, not yet readily available to
the public, to which they are privy as a result of
discharging their UN duties and responsibilities.
Staff Regulations 1.2 (i)
•
In some context, publishing photos of staff
members may put staff members on the
pictures at risk. The right to privacy of other staff
members must be respected (see Guidelines for
the Personal Use of Social Media, p.2).
33 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
KEY MESSAGES
> Once the discussion is complete, move to SLIDE 27, wrap up by reading or paraphrasing the key
messages, and emphasising any other important points that have come out of the discussion:
•
Staff members must uphold and respect the principles set out in the Charter, including faith in fundamental
human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women. Any
behaviour that is not acceptable in a particular cultural context must be avoided.
•
The private life of a staff member is his/her own concern, and the Organization does not intrude upon it.
However, staff must bear in mind that their conduct and activities outside the workplace, even if unrelated to
ocial duties, can compromise the image and the interests of the Organization.
•
Staff members may not communicate to any entity any information, not yet readily available to the public, to
which they are privy as a result of discharging their UN duties and responsibilities.
RELATED RESOURCES AND REFERENCES
Related resources and references are included in the Participant’s Guide as well.
•
ST/SGB/2023/1, Staff Regulations 1.2 (a) and (i)
•
ST/SGB/2016/9, Status, basic rights, and duties of United Nations staff members
•
Standards of conduct for the international civil service, paragraphs 40 and 42
•
United Nations Secretariat Guidelines for the Personal Use of Social Media (2019)
•
Directives and Circulars specic to the Mission
•
Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations
> Allow time for participants to share their points of view and ask if there are any questions before
concluding the Dialogue.
34 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
Conclusions
5 MINUTES
> Advance to SLIDE 28, read or paraphrase the following:
“That was an excellent discussion. You made very interesting and important points.
As we discussed earlier, if there is anything that came up in the Dialogue that you do not feel comfortable
discussing with others, please let me know after the session.
If you do not feel comfortable speaking with me, there are many others you can turn to— the Ethics Oce, other
colleagues.
Another resource, published by the Ethics Oce, is The Roadmap. It is a guide for those seeking assistance and is
available on the Ethics Oce iSeek page.
> Advance to SLIDE 29; read or paraphrase the following:
Key Messages Recap
Let us conclude now by reminding ourselves the key messages from today:
1. Staff must ensure that the expression of their personal views and convictions on social media does not
adversely affect their ocial duties, reect poorly on their status as international civil servants, or call into
question their duty of loyalty, impartiality, and responsibility to the Organization.
2. It is inappropriate for staff to air personal grievances or criticize the Organization in public. Staff have a continuing
responsibility to promote a better understanding of the objectives and work of the United Nations.
3. Staff members must uphold and respect the principles set out in the Charter, including faith in fundamental
human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women. Any
behaviour that is not acceptable in a particular cultural context must be avoided.
4. Staff members may not communicate to any entity any information, not yet readily available to the public, to
which they are privy as a result of discharging their UN duties and responsibilities..
> Advance to SLIDE 30; read or paraphrase the following nal remarks:
Thank you for your participation today. I hope you found it useful. I appreciated your enthusiasm for the discussion
and your ideas and comments.
Finally, if you have any suggestions for how the Dialogues may be improved for future years, please let me or
the Ethics Oce know through Appendix F, available in your Participant Guides. Please remember to provide the
session leader feedback in Appendix F as well..
> Take any nal questions. Do not be concerned if there are questions you cannot answer. Contact the
United Nations Ethics Oce for a response and get back to the questioner.
> Close the session.
35 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
Appendices
Appendix A: Leadership Dialogue Sign-In Sheet
INSTRUCTIONS: To be lled in by session leader/facilitator AND submitted to Entity’s approved Leadership
Dialogue Focal Point
DATE OF SESSION:
DISCUSSION LEADER:
ENTITY:
UNIT/SECTION/TEAM HOLDING SESSION:
TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: TOTAL PERSONNEL IN UNIT/SECTION/TEAM:
1. 14.
2. 15.
3. 16.
4. 17.
5. 18.
6. 19.
7. 20.
8. 21.
9. 22.
10. 23.
11. 24.
12. 25.
13.
36 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
Appendix C: Session Leader’s Feedback Form (Online)
INSTRUCTIONS: Session leader/facilitator should submit the information below online using the link
https://forms.oce.com/e/CMZjshWVLU OR the QR Code below. For non un.org addresses, please
contact ethicsoce@un.org for an alternative link.
PREPARE TO FILL IN THE INFORMATION BELOW ONLINE
1. Date of session:
2. Discussion leader:
3. Entity:
4. Unit/Section/Team holding session:
5. Total number of participants:
6. Total personnel in Unit/Section/Team:
7. Rating of Leader’s Guide’s quality of content and ease of use (1=low; 5=high)
8. Which discussion topics did you use? Scenarios 1, 2, 3,
9. Rating of discussion topics’ quality of content and ease of use (1=low; 5=high)
10. What went well during your session?
11. What did not go well during your session?
12. Were there any questions or issues that you could not answer during the session?
13. What changes would you recommend for future Leadership Dialogues?
14. What topics would you recommend for future Leadership Dialogues?
15. Summarize the key contributions from the Dialogue discussion, without naming individual participants.
37 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
Appendix D: List of Resources
PRE-READING
•
Staff Regulation 1.2 (f)
•
United Nations Secretariat guidelines for the personal use of social media
•
Twitter guidelines for UN senior staff and spokespeople
•
Department of Public Information social media guidelines
•
ST/SGB/2019/5, Institutional use of social media
Omar’s Instagram activities
•
ST/SGB/2023/1, Staff Regulations 1.2 (f), (h), (o), (p) and 1.3 (a)
•
ST/SGB/2023/1, Staff Rules 1.2 (r), (s), and 1.9
•
ST/SGB/2016/9, Status, basic rights, and duties of United Nations staff members
•
ST/AI/2000/13, Outside activities
•
ST/IC/2006/30, Outside activities
•
Standards of conduct for the international civil service, paragraphs 8, 9 and 33
•
The United Nations Charter, articles 100 and 101
•
United Nations Secretariat Guidelines for the Personal Use of Social Media (2019)
•
ST/SGB/2019/5, Institutional use of social media, paragraph 3.1
•
ST/SGB/2004/15, Use of information and communication technology resources and data, sections 1, 3.1.
Sepidah’s Twitter activities
•
ST/SGB/2023/1, Staff Regulations 1.2 (g) and (i); Article XI
•
ST/SGB/2023/1, Staff Rules 1.2 (c); Chapter XI
•
ST/SGB/2016/9, Status, basic rights, and duties of United Nations staff members
•
Standards of conduct for the international civil service, paragraphs 35 and 37
•
ST/SGB/2011/7Rev.1 Central review bodies
•
Rules of Procedure Central Review Board
•
ST/SGB/2017/2/Rev.1 Protection against retaliation for reporting misconduct and for cooperating with
duly authorized audits or investigations
•
ST/AI/2017/1 Unsatisfactory conduct, investigations, and the disciplinary process, section 4
•
ST/SGB/2019/8 Addressing discrimination, harassment, including sexual harassment, and abuse of
authority, sections 1.4 and 5
•
United Nations Secretariat Guidelines for the Personal Use of Social Media (2019)
38 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
•
Oce of the United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services website
•
Oce of Administration of Justice website
Gumisai’s Facebook activities
•
ST/SGB/2023/1, Staff Regulations 1.2 (a) and (i)
•
ST/SGB/2016/9, Status, basic rights, and duties of United Nations staff members
•
Standards of conduct for the international civil service, paragraphs 40 and 42
•
United Nations Secretariat Guidelines for the Personal Use of Social Media (2019)
•
Directives and Circulars specic to the Mission
•
Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations
39 LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 LEADER’S GUIDE AND MATERIALS
Appendix E: Certication of Completion/Roll Up of Session Feedback Forms
(Online)
INSTRUCTIONS: Focal Points should collect Appendix A forms from all session leaders/facilitators in their
Entity, summarize the information using the form below as a guide (add rows if needed) AND submit the infor-
mation online using the link https://forms.oce.com/e/rfpFM6NcVN OR the QR Code below. Only approved
Focal Points can access this link. For non un.org addresses, contact ethicsoce@un.org for an alternative link.
LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE 2023 (NAME OF ENTITY)
NO.
NAME OF UNIT/SECTION/TEAM
WHICH HELD SESSION
TOTAL NUMBER
OF DIALOGUE
PARTICIPANTS
TOTAL
PERSONNEL IN
UNIT/SECTION
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
TOTAL
Leadership Dialogue Contact Information
FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR TO COMMENT, CONTACT:
United Nations Ethics Oce
www.un.org/en/ethics
(Available via iSeek or the public United Nations site)
Email: ethicsoce@un.org
Phone +1-917-367-9858
Also, please consult these resources, available on our website:
Putting Ethics to Work: A Guide for UN Staff
The Roadmap: A Staff Member’s Guide to Finding the Right Place
