04 May 2023, Geneva, Switzerland – UNITAR and Arrowad for Building Values, part of the Arrowad International Group, are pleased to announce the launch of their joint initiative, the Value-Based Leadership Programme. 

In light of our globalized and multicultural world, UNITAR and the Arrowad Group have joined forces to create a unique training programme that focuses on the importance of individual, societal, and cultural value systems, and how embracing these values can impact the success and growth of organisations. The Arrowad Group is notably the first Arab private-sector company to partner with the United Nations in the field of value-based leadership training. 

To launch this new and innovative training programme, on 01 May 2023, UNITAR and Arrowad hosted a High-Level Panel on “Value-Based Leadership in a Multi-crisis World” that focused on the importance of value-based leadership in the current global context. The event was held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva and was attended by over 60 distinguished guests, which included several country representatives and senior officials of various international organizations and humanitarian initiatives.

Mr Nikhil Seth, UNITAR’s Executive Director, began by welcoming and thanking Arrowad for their partnership. Mr Seth lauded the new training programme as being both important and timely, noting that pervasive global crises such as Covid-19, climate change, and political tensions have stressed the need for value-based leadership skills, such as respect, altruism, and integrity, to respond to today’s issues and lead our communities forward.

Dr Saad Ibrahim Al-Khalaf, Founding Partner and Vice President of the Arrowad Group, also expressed the need for international partnership and value-based leadership in ensuring the continued success and sustainable growth of Saudi Arabia on the world stage. Dr Al-Khalaf praised the concerted efforts and capabilities of his countrymen and the partnership with UNITAR in paving the way towards the realization of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 based on embracing universal value systems. 

The event had the honour of hosting H.E. Mansour bin Hilal Al Mushaiti, Vice Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Dr Ghazi Binzagr, member of the Shura Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as eminent guests, and keynote speakers. Both honoured guests, speaking from experience, recognized the importance of the empowerment of universal values in enabling both private and public sector organisations to overcome global challenges and move towards their desired visions. 

UNITAR and Arrowad also welcomed Ms Maria Edera Spadoni, Ms Stela Koleva, Dr Christian Haerpfer, and Dr Neil Hawkes as expert panellists. 

Ms Maria Edera Spadoni, Vice President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, presented the importance of value-based leadership, and especially the empowerment of women, in international affairs. Ms Stela Koleva, Head of Travel, Product Support, Customer Solution Support, and Innovation Country Director for SAP Concur Czech, highlighted how value-based leadership is a ‘North Star’ for transformative organisational growth. Dr Christian Haerpfer, President of the World Values Survey Association, spoke on value-based leadership from a business perspective and provided insight on key values present in successful global businesses. Finally, Dr Neil Hawkes shared how giving learners of all ages access to an ethical vocabulary based on human values through Values-based Education (VbE) is the key to enabling our planet to flourish into the future. 

The Value-Based Leadership Programme was officially launched following speeches by Ms Anna Sabrina Wollmann, Training Assistant at UNITAR, and Dr Asif Chowdhury, Corporate Values Officer of the Arrowad Group. 

Set to begin in the third quarter of 2023, the Value-Based Leadership Programme will provide essential value-based leadership skills to a staff of international, intergovernmental, and non-governmental organisations; diplomats; government officials; and private sector professionals. 

Taught over the space of ten courses, this valuable and dynamic skillset can be utilized by leaders to facilitate improved stakeholder management, sustainable policies and procedures, and empower initiatives and engagements that are based on ‘core value connectors,’ leading to improved organisational functioning, employee satisfaction, and overall organisational success. Successful participants can be awarded a Value Ambassador Programme Award, a Value Officer Programme Certificate, and a Value Ambassador Programme Diploma upon completion of the basic, intermediate, and advanced programme tracks, respectively. 

UNITAR and Arrowad welcome participants to enrol in the training programme and learn more about the importance of value-based leadership in guiding organisations through a multi-crisis world.