The organization is plagued by rigid and outdated management practices, stifling innovation and hindering internal progress. There is a significant lack of integrity in human resource management, with nepotism running rampant and promotion opportunities restricted to a select few within the senior leadership’s inner circle. While the UN system at large faces existential challenges, senior management continues to prioritize personal interests and favoritism, disregarding the actual staffing needs of the organization.
The organization is overstaffed at the senior level - P4/5 and above, with new very senior positions being continually created to promote favored individuals. These new positions, however, are not always reflected in the human resources plan approved by the Board after the recent functional review. The flexibilities granted by the Board and the WHO Human Resources department are being significantly abused to facilitate those recruitments outside of the approved HR plan. This undermines transparency and further entrenches the culture of nepotism and favoritism, while disregarding the needs and interests of the broader organization.
These issues are systematically concealed from the Executive Board, even as a significant portion of staff reports experiencing harassment and discrimination in the recent staff survey. Despite these concerns, management has failed to take them seriously, offering no tangible solutions or concrete actions. The internal justice system, including within Unitaid and the hosting agency WHO, has so far been ineffective in addressing these critical issues.