* Plataforma CIPÓ, in partnership with Blue Smoke, has just launched the policy brief “Uncovering Blind Spots: Racial Equality and Representation in the UN System,” which examines the evolution of racial representation at the UN, focusing on identifying challenges and opportunities to promote equality in the UN system.
The study, authored by Nycolas Candido, Vitória Gonzalez, Júlia Hara Medeiros, Nayifa Nihad, and Maiara Folly, was supervised by Beatriz Mattos and involved collaboration from Blue Smoke’s other co-editors Fred Carver, Ben Donaldson, and Enyseh Teimory.
The document analyzes racial diversity in the leadership of ten key UN bodies and highlights that, despite some recent progress in diversity, inclusion, and equity policies, there remains a concerning lack of racial diversity in leadership positions.
Between 2007 and 2024, only 35% of appointed to senior positions were non-white professionals, with a clear underrepresentation of non-white women and professionals from various regions of the world.
The study concludes with recommendations to strengthen the UN’s capacity to combat discrimination and promote a more just and inclusive global governance.
* Erratum: In a previous version of the document, in the Executive Summary (p. 4) and in the Conclusion (p. 27), where it reads 2017, the correct date is 2007. That is, over the past 17 years, from 2007 to 2024, 31 individuals have been appointed by Secretaries-General to occupy the highest positions in the 10 UN bodies analyzed in the research. Only 35% of these appointess were non-white professionals. The information has already been corrected in the website text and in the publication itself.
