The United Nations faces a critical challenge: its legitimacy is eroding where it is most needed. Protests against peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the expulsion of missions from Mali and Sudan reveal mounting frustrations with UN operations. Critics view the organization as hindered by liberal hubris and Western bias—imposing top-down solutions, dismissing local agency, and failing to adapt to evolving conflicts. In response, the UN took a significant step in 2021 by adopting humility as a core value, alongside humanity, integrity, and inclusion.
But what does it really mean for a vast and complex institution to embody humility? And how can this value be practically applied in high-stakes, cross-cultural contexts like peacemaking and peacekeeping?
This project tackles these questions to explore how humility can shape relationships, foster trust, and enhance the legitimacy of UN operations. Phase 1 investigates the evolution and adoption of humility within the UN as a whole, while Phase 2 focuses on its practical application in two challenging missions—South Sudan and the DR Congo. Through document analysis, interviews, and ethnographic fieldwork, this project studies humility as both an internal organizational value influencing staff interactions and decision-making processes, and an external-facing value shaping engagements with states, warring parties, and local populations. Deliverables include academic publications, a policy report with recommendations, and a field personnel toolkit with guidance on fostering humility in interactions with communities. An integrated dissemination strategy ensures that findings are shared widely with academics and practitioners, optimizing its policy impact.
By reimagining humility as a practical and relational value, this project offers a model for more adaptive UN engagement and opens new avenues to apply humility across international institutions for more effective, equitable global governance.
