Letter to Editor: Inequities when FAO HR betrays its policies
Insider View
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21 May 2026
FAO HR supremo Serge Nakouzi
Sir: In an era where qualified professionals at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) face diminishing job opportunities, an unsettling contradiction has emerged at the heart of the organization’s human resources division. Under the leadership of Serge Nakouzi, a recently appointed Chief HR Director, a front office administrative assistant, previously at a G5 level, was promoted to a P2 Program Officer role. Shockingly, this individual has no experience in budgetary or programme management—a glaring omission in a division that claims to champion merit and integrity.
T o make matters worse, the division is footing the bill for an intensive course to hastily equip this candidate with the skills they need. Meanwhile, seasoned professionals—internal candidates with years of expertise in both regular and extra-budgetary funds—were passed over without explanation. This begs the question: how can FAO uphold its principles of transparency and meritocracy when its own HR practices seem to defy these ideals?
FAO’s anti-fraud and integrity policies, which stress impartiality and accountability, are not just lofty ideals—they are meant to govern every recruitment decision. By flouting these rules, HR not only undermines trust but also leaves a generation of qualified experts disillusioned, deprived of fair opportunities, and left questioning the very fairness of the FAO’s internal structures.
As the UN system grapples with calls for reform and accountability, it is time for FAO leadership to confront this discrepancy. If the organization is to lead on food security and sustainable development, it must first root out fraud within its own ranks, ensuring that merit, not favoritism, defines every step of a professional’s journey. This is not to fault of the incumbent but rather the Director - who needs to be held accountable.
(name and address withheld)
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