MANAGEMENT Innovation Across UN Human Rights, innovation is encouraged, supported and its results are implemented accordingly. • As part of the Innovation Action Plan, the 2019 edition of the UN Human Rights Innovation Challenge was launched, in April, to generate outof-the-box ideas to transform how UN Human Rights works to achieve human rights impact. The Challenge provided staff with a platform to identify actions that UN Human Rights could stop doing and/or propose new and creative alternatives in which it could invest. A total of 29 proposals were submitted and 10 were shortlisted and invited to make a pitch for seed funding. A pitch event was held during the Global Meeting with three external panel experts including experts from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and UNAIDS. Staff voted to identify four winning innovation projects that were awarded seed funds for implementation. › “ Ditch UNfair internships” came in first and received seed funding of US$25,000 to support a pilot programme to bring candidates from the Global South to Geneva. UN Human Rights also took part in the 100-day internship challenge to come up with concrete, actionable recommendations for the senior management of UN Geneva that would improve the internship experience in the UN Secretariat. Key achievements included assigning dedicated slots in language and other training courses for interns, free meals for interns in UN cafeterias after hours and a more structured onboarding and exit package. › The other three winning proposals focused on the volunteer mobility programme for national staff, investing in technology as a force for good and establishing a Human Rights Officers Academy. Three of the shortlisted proposals targeted youth. › T he diversity of proposals, the engagement of the candidates and the feedback of the experts was a strong indication of success and a growing interest in innovation within the organization. › T he UN Human Rights Innovation Challenge also attracted interest from other UN partners who have replicated and adapted the concept within their organizations. › A ll four winning proposals from the 2017 Innovation Challenge were implemented with seed funds by the end of 2019, including one information management project that attracted significant donor interest and led to an expansion of the original concept. • During 2018 and 2019, work was undertaken to continue and build upon UN Human Rights’ annual Innovation Challenge, first launched in 2017. UN Human Rights developed links and cooperated with UN agencies with more advanced approaches to programmes and organizational arrangements to support innovation, including UNHCR, WIPO, UNDP and UN Global Pulse, to support the conceptualization and creation of the “Light Up! Innovation Engine” project, which included a study tour of UNHCR’s innovation services. UN Human Rights also became a member of the UN Innovation Network. • The “Light Up! Innovation Engine” project was launched, in June, with the participation of over 25 colleagues across the Office including field presences. Representatives of the “Light Up! Innovation Engine” project met with UN Innovation UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2019 73