ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to contribute to a better understanding of the United Nations (UN) in the digital age. It examines how and to what extent the introduction and adoption of new digital information and communication technologies (ICTs) by UN actors have affected processes in this international organisation. It explores how the UN “went digital.” The UN is a complex, multifaceted system made up of six main organs, multiple funds, programmes, entities and specialised agencies. A dozen semi-structured elite interviews were also conducted with UN practitioners working in the UN Secretariat. The team was first composed of a small number of UN information officers who had developed knowledge on the use of digital platforms. Interestingly, early adopters in the then Department of Public Information also tried to slow down and even limit the diffusion of digital ICTs in the wider UN system.
