UNITAR is the acronym for the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, whose mission is to develop the individual, institutional, and organizational capacities of the Member States of the United Nations through high-quality learning solutions. These solutions include products and services designed to enhance decision-making and support effective action to address contemporary global challenges.
My first encounter with UNITAR took place at Georgetown University in Washington, when I was accepted into a preparatory course for accredited diplomats in the U.S. capital. Over the course of my 52 years as a member of Ecuador’s Foreign Service, I had the opportunity to attend several courses aimed at navigating the complexities of diplomacy in various roles. I later served as a lecturer, professor, and advisor. Upon leaving the Foreign Service in 2014, prior to my retirement, I was appointed as UNITAR’s representative for Latin America. In 2019, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, kindly appointed me in a personal capacity as a member of UNITAR’s Board for two terms. I was elected by my peers as Chair of the Board in 2019, a role I have carried out during the complex circumstances that humanity has been facing.
When I began this journey in 2019, no one could have foreseen the magnitude of the challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was a crisis of global dimensions, affecting all 193 United Nations Member States, and it uniquely put every one of our lives at risk. The very foundations of the world were shaken, and it required the full scope of our leadership capacities to emerge from the immense crisis that claimed millions of lives and still lingers as an imminent threat.
We launched pioneering initiatives that proved training is indispensable to building human resources that are well-prepared, motivated, and committed to serving their nations and institutions. Unfortunately, we also witnessed, all too often, irresponsible and improvised attitudes that sought to dismantle established institutions and pay electoral, familial, or other kinds of tributes, rather than prioritize the presence of well-trained professionals.
As I step down from the Presidency of UNITAR after nearly six years, I can say with humility and a sense of pride that we positively impacted the lives of 2.3 million beneficiaries, whose contributions are deeply valued and respected.
Our objective was to strengthen governance, emphasize oversight, and support strategic growth. The introduction of a results-based management system enabled diversification and an exponential increase in efficiency.
Today, as we face an era of “radical uncertainty,” countries—and the world at large—must rely above all on people who are well-prepared, experienced, and committed. Improvisation is the formula for failure.