On Thursday 23 October, UNA-UK hosted its annual UN Day event, this year in partnership with the Embassy of Slovenia. UNA-UK was delighted to present the Sir Brian Urquhart Award for Distinguished Service to the UN to Ben Majekodunmi, Chief of Staff at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
UNA-UK was delighted to partner with the Slovenian Embassy for this year’s event which marked the 80 anniversary of the UN Charter coming into force. The reception was held at Methodist Central Hall where the first UN General-Assembly met in January 1946.
UNA-UK CEO Jane Kinninmont welcomed the audience of policy makers, civil society representatives, and UNA-UK members. She reflected that from the UN's inception, the rules-based international order it promotes has always been contested, and has always needed to keep being built, to adapt and to be renewed. Amidst multiple global challenges, there can be no better time for people and government to recommit to protecting succeeding generations from the scourge of war:
At the heart of renewing the UN must be a renewed sense of purpose and determination - of commitment to the purpose of peace and security as a common interest of humanity and as a shared project for international cooperation.
Presenting the Sir Brian Urquhart Award to Ben Majekodunmi, UNA-UK Chair Ian Martin, said:
It's because of Ben's commitments and personality that he has been and continues to be so effective a champion of human rights, and so thoroughly deserves this award.
Named in honour of one of the UN’s most distinguished civil servants, the award recognises individuals whose careers embody the dedication, values and spirit of his work and of the UN itself.
In his 31-year career at the UN, Majekodunmi has worked for the organisation’s human rights, development, humanitarian and peace agenda across five world regions and multiple UN agencies, departments and missions. He also previously served as Senior Political Affairs Officer in the Executive Office of the UN Secretary General, under Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Secretary-General Guterres. Since 2021, he has been Chief of Staff at UNRWA, demonstrating remarkable resilience, integrity and courage at a time of unprecedented attacks on humanitarian workers and the organisation itself; more than 330 UNRWA staff have been killed in the last two years.
In his acceptance remarks, Majekodunmi spoke about the enduring idea of the UN and of international civil service which, although under threat, lives on through the people the UN engages with, the actions of the General Assembly, and the commitment of UN staff. It needs support in order to be protected:
The idea of the UN is not an idea that belongs to UN staff... it belongs to people...this is a collective idea. It's incredibly powerful and incredibly important. Its time has come, even more than at any moment since the Second World War.
He also used his speech to commend the work of his colleagues at UNRWA:
As we talk of the ‘idea’ of the United Nations, we have that idea being lifted for us by these UN staff who have carried Gaza on their shoulders...between Philippe [Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General] and the Palestinian staff of Gaza, there's an enormous debt I think, that we owe them, that Member States owe them, and I'm immensely honoured to work with them.
Ambassador Sanja Štiglic, representative of Slovenia to the United Kingdom, highlighted the need to reclaim the founding hopeful vision of the UN and champion humanitarian principles:
We are pleased to see that with tonight’s Sir Brian Urquhart Award, UNA-UK recognises the recipient's personal dedication, contribution and integrity. And perhaps the most visible and important role of the UN: saving lives and alleviating suffering in humanitarian emergencies. UNRWA has been a lifeline for Palestinians.
Philip Dixon, Head of the UN and Multilateral Department at the FCDO, reflected on Britain’s long-history of involvement with the UN, and the government’s support for reforming the organisation to ensure it is fit for the next 80 years:
We want to see a bold vision of a UN refocussed on its core priorities and making tangible impact.
UNA-UK looks forward to leading a national conversation about the UN we need and the UK’s role in it, with the aim of developing a compelling vision of a UN that is fit for the future, and making the case for multilateralism, human rights and international law afresh.
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