FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
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General Information
- The Senior Women Talent Pipeline (SWTP) is an initiative that aims to improve the gender balance in UN Peace Operations at senior levels. The Staffing Service in the Department of Operations Support is mandated to provide a high-quality, diverse and gender-balanced global workforce for UN Peace Operations. As a result, the SWTP was launched in 2014 to identify a cadre of external women who are strong candidates for senior-level positions.
- The SWTP serves as a dedicated talent pool for high potential external female candidates applying to D1-D2 positions, particularly in areas where there is an urgent requirement. There are currently about 250 women members the SWTP. Participants have benefited from individual and group coaching on the recruitment process, group training, and one-one-one support from a dedicated project manager. The objective of the SWTP is to ensure that external candidates are competitive in the UN’s recruitment process.
1.Practical pre-application support. The SWTP team will review candidates’ Personal History Profile (PHP), prior to the submission of the application in Inspira. When invited for an interview, the SWTP will set up the candidate with a coach to do a mock Competency Based Interview (CBI). The SWTP team may also provide candidates with (non-confidential) information about the work of peacekeeping missions and special political missions.
2. Training and coaching. The SWTP regularly provides a different training and development opportunities.
3. Networking. The SWTP aims to establish a network of highly qualified, competent and professional women working in international relations, with a specific focus on peacekeeping and special political missions. This network is maintained through occasional face-to-face meetings; a group LinkedIn page; and the organization of a weeklong induction training for members.
4. Advocacy. Both internally and externally, the SWTP continuously advocates for the project and its members, providing Members with an added visibility to the UN’s senior leadership.
The SWTP focuses only on D1 and D2 positions in Peace Operations. If you are interested in HoM/DHoM positions, please apply for the Global Call . Senior Leadership vacancies in the UN System are posted on this website.
The Global Call for Nominations for the positions of Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG) in the United Nations peace operations is a separate outreach initiative conducted by the United Nations Secretariat to increase the pool of candidates for the Head and deputy Head of Mission positions in the field. The Global Call is open to men and women. Women nominated through the Global Call might also meet the requirements of the Senior Women Talent Pipeline (SWTP), which is a separate initiative geared solely towards women who are non-staff members and are interested and eligible for senior management positions in the field (director-level positions usually graded at D1 or D2-level). Inclusion in the SWTP does not exclude nominees from being part of the Global Call pool and vice-versa. The Global Call and the Senior Women Talent Pipeline (SWTP) are two different outreach initiatives serving different purposes and targeting different career levels. Whereas the SWTP focuses solely on female candidates for senior management positions in the field (mainly D1 and D2-level), the Global Call is open to men and women and focuses on candidates for senior leadership roles (primarily at the Assistant Secretary-General level and Under-Secretary-General level).
To be placed in the SWTP does not bring any guarantees that you will be successful in obtaining a position, but it increases your chances in the recruitment process as you will receive dedicated support. Your success through being a member of the SWTP is very much dependent on the demand from field operations and the match with your profile, as well as on you applying to positions you qualify for.
The SWTP cannot and does not place any candidates. Any applications must be done through Inspira following the regular recruitment process, after which the hiring manager proceeds with the recruitment and selection process. Regardless of whether a hiring manager may reach out to the SWTP to inquire about potential female applicants potential candidates, all vacancies are posted in Inspira and are open to all to apply.
Becoming a Member
- The majority of current Peace Operations are located in Africa and the Middle East. Therefore, candidates who are bilingual in English and French or English and Arabic are in high demand. To be eligible to apply, candidates should have an advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent) in a relevant area and a minimum of fifteen years of professional experience. If you don’t hold an advanced university degree you may also be eligible if you hold a first level university degree (e.g. Bachelor's degree) in combination with 17 years of relevant work experience.
- In addition, at Director level, peacekeeping and special political missions need staff who are excellent managers (of budgets as well as people) and leaders. Any leadership experience gained in conflict or post-conflict environments will be extremely valuable. The SWTP looks to support members’ applications to D1/D2 positions in non-family and hardship duty stations. Therefore, potential members must be willing to deploy to such locations in the short-medium term. For more information on current duty station classifications, please click here.
The UN Application Process