Knowledge in Service of the 2030 for Sustainable Development: optimising the contribution of the United Nations system, Dr. Petru Dumitriu
Dr. Petru Dumitriu
Senior Fellow and Lecturer on Multilateral Diplomacy
Diplo Foundation/University of Malta
Switzerland/Malta
Email: PetruD@diplomacy.edu
Purpose: This study aims to analyse how the United Nations system acts as a generator and disseminator of knowledge in the implementation of its development mandate.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper reflects on the one side, a historic overview of the evolution of the concept of development and, on the other side, an action-oriented approach on knowledge management in the United Nations system at present, supported by the author’s experience of 30 years of work with the United Nations.
Findings: The United Nations is not just an honest broker and facilitator among donors and recipients of development assistance. As a promoter of development cooperation, the United Nations has influenced the international thinking. The vision on development that the world organization proposed with the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development is built upon knowledge acquired over its entire existence.
Originality: By means of desk research at macro level, the paper identifies the most significant events related to development and shows how the accumulation of new ideas and dimensions led to the contemporary concept of sustainable development. In addition, the author presents a micro analysis of the knowledge production and its use in the United Nations system - policy research uptake, learning policies, knowledge management frameworks – based on personal observations and data collected as coordinator of relevant reports of the Joint Inspection Unit of the United Nations.
Implications: As the paper reflects a practitioner’s experience as a diplomat and a United Nations Inspector, the paper includes some recommendations for action, from a system-wide perspective, based on the practices of the most influential United Nations funds, programmes and specialized agencies.
Keywords: United Nations, Knowledge Management, Sustainable Development Goals, Agenda 2030.