The Ethics and Care of International Civil Servants: A Reflection on How the Care of UN Staff Directly Relates to Their Ethical Choices, and Their Ability to Fulfill Their Role in 'Harmonizing' the World

Abstract:     
This paper exams the nature and origins of international civil service and points out the ways in which lack of appropriate care and training of international civil servants directly relates to ethical miscalculations of internationals in the field. The author relates some of her experiences working in international organizations and observes that the level of training on issues pertaining to international law, ethics and codes of conduct is inconsistent at best and often non-existent. For internationals to remain safe in the field, to even begin to fulfill their mission and to move toward the mandates set forth in the UN Charter, many more resources must be devoted to properly training international civil servants about the nature of their missions and to their protection and care in carrying out those missions.

Keywords: international organizations, gender and international organizations, United Nations, international humanitarian law, post conflict reconstruction

Working Paper Series