Bangkok (UN Information Services) -- The Young Strategic Discussion Group (YSDG) of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) had its final meeting last week with Mr. Kim Hak-Su, current Executive Secretary whose tenure will end on 31 July 2007, at which he reminded the junior professionals in attendance of the importance of maintaining and continuously improving their expertise.
The YSDG, composed of all staff members at the P2 and P3 levels, was formed four years ago to provide a mechanism for young professionals to be engaged in organizational development through regular meetings with the Executive Secretary.
The YSDG has been meeting with the Executive Secretary at least twice a year and working with the Office of the Executive Secretary on, among other things, ESCAP’s Knowledge Management initiative and preparations for commemorating ESCAP’s 60th anniversary.
During the meeting, Mr. Kim commented that he found the YSDG to be very helpful to his office, bringing fresh ideas to his attention, and recommended that such dialogues continue with his successor.
Mr. Kim also spoke with the group about his seven years of leading ESCAP. He told the group that, when he assumed his position, his mission statement had been simply "Change". Subsequent general improvements at ESCAP included its enhanced visibility, efficiency and more results-based work. There has also been recognition of the need for improved analytical work and a knowledge management initiative was established. However, Mr. Kim noted, there remained room for further improvement as the process had only just begun.
Mr. Kim emphasized the need to bring innovative ideas to any organization. He stated that two signs of the decline of a business or organization were bureaucracy and a "business-as-usual" attitude. He commented that the UN needed to think seriously about these signs.
He encouraged young professionals to "always sharpen your skills," pursue systematic research and keep abreast of the latest trends. He also expressed the hope for more diverse and relevant training for ESCAP staff in the future. Mr. Kim stressed the importance of clear and concise writing. Good writing was soul searching, painstaking work and essential to the analytical strengths of ESCAP and its future contribution to the region, he said.
The YSDG expressed its appreciation to the Executive Secretary for his time and support to young professionals and wished him all the best in his new pursuits.
