United Nations System Staff College
The United Nations System Staff College is a UN organization that serves the personnel of the United Nations via inter-agency learning and training.
Established in 2002, it serves as a system-wide resource for cultivating management and leadership learning, and equips UN personnel and partners with the knowledge, skills, and mindsets to effectively deliver on the mandates of the UN.
The College provides learning, training and knowledge-sharing initiatives and solutions to strengthen individual and collective organizational performance. It collaborates closely with UN agencies, Member States and academic institutions to deliver its programmes.
Its portfolio includes online, face-to-face, and blended programmes in the areas of sustainable development, peace and security, leadership and management, academic partnerships and UN transformation. A significant part of its outreach is achieved through its digital learning platform, the Blue Line, which serves approximately 60 per cent of the UN workforce.
History and Mandate
The establishment of UNSSC was approved by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 55/207 of 20 December 2000. The resolution endorsed the concept of a staff college, first proposed by the UN Secretary-General, to "contribute to the harmonization and coordination of the work of the United Nations and its institutional family." The College became operational in 2002, building upon the foundation of the former International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization in Turin.In 2016, with the support of the German government, the UN System Staff College opened an office in Bonn. The UNSSC Bonn Office now primarily focuses on developing learning opportunities in the areas of sustainable development, change management and organizational development, and advancing academic partnerships.
Initially focused on training for senior management, the College's mandate has significantly evolved. Today, it is tasked with fostering a cohesive management culture across the UN system, strengthening operational effectiveness, and supporting transformative change. It aims to build the collective capabilities of UN staff and partners to address contemporary global challenges.
Programmes and Activities
UNSSC designs and delivers a range of learning solutions, including online, face-to-face, and blended courses, leadership programmes, and knowledge-sharing initiatives. Its work is organized around several key thematic areas:Peace and Security: Programmes focus on sustaining peace, conflict prevention, mediation, and the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
Sustainable Development: Learning solutions support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, including climate action, data and digitalization, and partnerships.
Leadership and Management: The College offers courses to develop current and future UN leaders, emphasizing transformative leadership, strategic management, and the quintet of change.
Academic Partnerships: UNSSC pursues partnerships with cutting edge global academic institutions to bring diverse, up-to-date and research-driven knowledge into UN learning, ensuring personnel can engage with the latest thinking on global challenges and priority areas of the UN system.
UN 2.0: A flagship initiative to build capacities across the UN system in critical areas like data, digital transformation, innovation, and behavioural science to modernize the Organization's impact.
Governance
The College is led by a Director, currently Miguel Panadero, and a Deputy Director, supported by a team of learning and knowledge management experts.UNSSC is governed by a Board of Governors, which provides strategic guidance and oversight. The Board is composed of representatives from UN system organizations and independent experts.
| Chef de Cabinet of the United Nations Secretary-General | Courtenay Rattray |
| Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, OHCHR | Nada Al-Nashif |
| Under-Secretary-General, Department of Operational Support, UN - DOS | Atul Khare |
| Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, UNHCR | Raouf Mazou |
| Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, UN - DPPA | Elizabeth Spehar |
| Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF | Hannan Sulieman |
| Special Representative of the Director General, FAO | Laurent Thomas |
| Assistant Director-General, ILO | Laura Thompson |
| Acting Director, UNSSC | Miguel Panadero |
| Executive Director, UNITAR | Michelle Gyles-McDonnough |
| Secretary of CEB and Director of the CEB Secretariat | Maaike Jansen |