Welcome to the United Nations
Human resources development (HRD) encompasses an array of activities that enhance the ability of all human beings to reach their highest potential. The traditional approach to human resources development, while focused and intensive, requires supplementation by a concentration on the interdependencies and interrelations among the different components of HRD and between different sectors of the national and international environments. Human resources development has always been critical to the United Nations mission. As former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold stated, “Fundamentally, man is the key to all problems, not money. Funds are valuable only when used by trained, experienced and devoted men and women. Such people, on the other hand, can work miracles even with small resources and draw wealth out of a barren land.” The United Nations initiatives in understanding the importance of HRD have been many and varied. They range from development of organizational structures within the United Nations, such as the Department for Development Support and Management Services, to development projects on civil service data management, training needs assessments, gender analysis and human capital concerns of governments, to the holding of international seminars, workshops, and meetings on human resources development.