With the majority of UN staff working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Archives and Records Management Section (ARMS) in the Department of Operational Support (DOS) is using this time to launch an “Oral History” project.

Global colleagues will have the opportunity to share and document their professional experiences while working within the Organization.

Oral history is a methodical field of study that gathers, preserves and interprets the voices and memories of individuals and groups. Unlike more conventional approaches to documenting history, oral history allows participants to speak freely during informal “interviews” and encourages them to express individual reflections and poignant memories.

Over the years, various oral history initiatives have been conducted at the UN, many of which can be found at the Dag Hammarskjöld’s Digital Library. They offer a fascinating perspective into the work of the Organization, including rare insights from key officials, advisors, and international political figures who have been at its forefront.

For the first time, however, ARMS is pleased to announce that the Oral History interviews are being conducted with all staff – at every level.

We want to engage with you, capture your invaluable institutional knowledge, and add it to the UN’s archives!

Please let us know if you would prefer to be interviewed in an official UN language (other than English), and we will do our best to accommodate your requirements.

Although we are primarily seeking oral responses, if you feel more comfortable submitting a written record of your memories, let us know and we can send you a template of questions which you can use instead.

Lastly, in this time of remote working, we encourage you to explore the UN Archives! Many resources are already accessible in digital format by using the UN Archives online search engine.

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Originally published in UN Intranet (iSeek)
20 April 2020