7 September 2009 – For the third year, the UN Secretary-General and top UN officials gathered for their annual retreat to take stock of the Organization’s achievements and propose policy recommendations on the key issues of accountability, communication, cost-effectiveness and efficiency.

 

The Retreat gathered close to 80 highest ranking UN officials and was simultaneously held in two locations, using a video link between New York and Geneva. It was a cost-efficient and climate friendly undertaking, cognizant of the challenges posed by the global economic crisis and climate change.

 

The Retreat provided an opportunity for top UN officials to exchange ideas and reflect on how best the Organization can tackle current challenges and discharge its high profile responsibilities more effectively. The annual event is organized as a joint effort between UNITAR, the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC), and the Department of Management in the UN Secretariat.

 

This year, the Secretary-General, Mr. BAN Ki-moon, and his senior-most advisers committed themselves to ensuring that concrete progress is made on the three following areas that were covered during the Retreat: breaking down true barriers to accountability, improving communications and becoming more effective and efficient.