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La revue officielle des fonctionnaires Internationaux – The official magazine of international civil servants
ON THE FRONT LINE :
Honouring our
humanitarian colleagues
# 799 MAI / MAY 2020
Filippo Grandi : Capturing
Interview with
rencontre avec the human stories
UNOG Director-General
un homme au service behind humanitarian
Tatiana Valovaya
des plus vulnérables assistance
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ÉDITORIAL /
EDITOR’S NOTE
#799 | MAI /MAY 2020
ALEXANDER MEJIA
Editor-in-chief / Rédacteur en chef
The Coronavirus pandemic continues to rage around the Pendant que la pandémie de COVID‑19 fait rage dans le monde
world, and we continue to work from home, amidst a del- entier, nous continuons à travailler à domicile, assaillis de mau‑
uge of negative news and somber statistics. However, we vaises nouvelles et de statistiques inquiétantes. Pourtant, au mi‑
have also witnessed good news in the middle of this histor- lieu de cette tourmente historique, l'ONU se soucie en priorité des
ic crisis: the UN humanitarian efforts have been maintained plus démunis et ne laisse personne de côté, puisqu’elle a maintenu
and actually expanded, in a permanent quest to reach out et même renforcé son action humanitaire. Notre vocation est de
to the furthest behind first, and to not leave anyone behind. protéger et d'aider les plus pauvres, les plus vulnérables et les
That is the ethos of our mission, to help the poor and pro- plus défavorisés. Ces aspirations, qui s'énoncent dans la Charte
tect the vulnerable; to remember the needy and focus on des Nations Unies et dans le préambule de la résolution de
the disadvantaged. It is more than just words in our UN l’Assemblée générale instituant le Programme de développement
Charter or phrases in the preamble of the UN Resolution durable à l'horizon 2030, ne sont pas de vains mots. À Genève,
creating the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. lieu d'affectation qui occupe une place centrale et de premier plan
It is a reality and a priority that we live every day in Geneva, dans le dispositif de secours de l'Organisation, elles sont notre
as our city is front and centre in all UN relief efforts. réalité et notre priorité.
We are proud to bring to you in this new digital edition cov- Nous sommes fiers de vous présenter ce nouveau numéro au
erage that shed light on this side of the UN family in this format électronique, qui met en lumière le travail effectué par la
beautiful city. You will read interviews with Filippo Grandi, « famille ONU » dans cette belle cité. Vous y découvrirez des inter-
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, with views de Filippo Grandi, Haut-Commissaire des Nations Unies
Robert Mardini, the new Director-General of the ICRC, and pour les réfugiés, de Robert Mardini, nouveau Directeur général
with UNOG Director-General, Tatiana Valovaya to address du CICR, et de Tatiana Valovaya, Directrice générale de l'ONUG.
staff concerns in these particular circumstances.
Dans notre populaire rubrique « 3 questions à », le Directeur
We continue our popular “3 questions” series, this time with général de l'aéroport de Genève nous expliquera comment son
the CEO of the Geneva Airport on how it is surviving during établissement survit à la crise. Dans les autres articles proposés
the crisis. Other topics include, among others, the Interna- il sera aussi question, entre autres, de la Journée internationale
tional Day for Mine Awareness and a presentation of a book de sensibilisation aux mines, d’un livre sur l'histoire et les racines
on the history and roots of the World Health Organization. de l'Organisation mondiale de la santé, et de la longue et illustre
We are also mourning the loss of one of our most respected carrière de l'un de nos collègues les plus respectés, le regretté
colleagues, Ambassador Idriss Jazaïry with an article on his ambassadeur Idriss Jazaïry, récemment disparu.
long and illustrious career.
Dans cette période contrastée nous gardons plus que jamais
A mix of emotions, but we continue with our eyes fixed à l’esprit, les yeux tournés vers l'avenir, les idéaux et les buts de
ahead, on the spirit of the UN and its mission. l'ONU.
Enjoy your reading ! Bonne lecture !
facebook.com/UNTodayMagazine
instagram.com/untoday_magazine
twitter.com/un_today
3
IMPRESSUM SOMMAIRE / TABLE OF CONTENTS
UN Today Éditorial / Editor’s note 3
Palais des Nations, bureau C507 Sommaire / Table of contents 4
1211 Genève 10
sarah.bencherif@unitar.org
admin@untoday.org
GROS PLAN SUR / FOCUS ON
www.untoday.org En première ligne : hommage à nos collègues humanitaires /
Alex Mejia
On the front line : honouring our humanitarian colleagues
Rédacteur en chef / Editor-in-chief
Entrevue avec Filippo Grandi. Rencontre avec un homme au service
des plus vulnérables 5
Sarah Bencherif
Interview with Robert Mardini, Director General of the ICRC 7
Coordinatrice éditoriale /
Editorial Coordinator Capturing the human stories behind humanitarian assistance 10
Ensuring Respect for International Law in Armed Conflict 13
Publicité / Advertising
VU DE L’INTÉRIEUR / INSIDE VIEW
PCL Presses Centrales SA
Interview with UNOG Director-General Tatiana Valovaya 15
Régie Publicitaire et abonnements
Av. de Longemalle 9 / CP 137 / L’ONU Genève oeuvre pour le bien-être de son personnel 18
1020 Renens International day for safety and health at work : A Healthy Workforce
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Contact pour la France :
UNOG Staff Coordinating Council News at a glance 24
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1020 Renens COVID‑19 and restricted movements across borders : Food Outlook 29
T. +41 21 317 51 51
www.pcl.ch Solidarité, maître mot de la lutte contre le COVID‑19 30
The International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action 32
Relecture / Proofreader Commemoration of 40 Years of the University for Peace 34
Julia Genth A Glimpse of a New Book on the World Health Organization 36
Chinese Language : Some Interesting Facts and Useful Learning Tips 38
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LOISIRS ET CULTURE / LEISURE AND CULTURE
Sebastian Hofbauer & Froylan Silveira
Musée international de la Croix‑Rouge et du Croissant‑Rouge :
Pour expérimenter l’aventure humanitaire 40
Merci à / Many thanks to :
Israel Ledesma DIVERS / OTHER MATTERS
Matija Potocnik Le CAGI renforce sa communication pour les Internationaux 42
Hospitality with Heart : Successfully branching out into the pandemic
relief effort 44
La revue officielle des fonctionnaires
À LA MÉMOIRE DE / IN MEMORY OF
internationaux des Nations Unies à L’ Ambassadeur Idriss Jazaïry nous a quittés 45
Genève.
Les opinions exprimées dans ce magazine
sont celles des auteurs, et non forcément 28
celles de l’ONU ou de ses institutions
spécialisées. La parution de ce magazine
dépend uniquement du support financier
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de la publicité prise en charge par une régie.
The official magazine of the international
civil servants of the United Nations at
Geneva. 45
The opinions in this magazine are those of
the authors, not necessarily those of the
United Nations, or its specialized agencies.
The publication of this magazine relies solely
on the financial support of its advertisers.
4
GROS PLAN SUR… / FOCUS ON…
© UNHCR / SYLVAIN CHERKAOUI
Rencontre avec Le Haut-
Commissaire
un homme au service
rencontre
les personnes
déplacées
des plus vulnérables
accueillies par la
communauté locale
au Burkina Faso.
Catherine Fiankan-Bokonga*
Onzième Haut-Commissaire en charge
des réfugiés, Filippo Grandi a eu la lourde
milanaise, sans difficultés particulières,
tâche de succéder à l’actuel Secrétaire ses parents rappelaient souvent à leurs
général des Nations Unies, Antonio Guterres. enfants qu’ils étaient privilégiés par rap-
port à la majorité des gens. Ce sont cer-
tainement ces paroles qui ont conduit le
Depuis le début de son mandat le diplomate italien doit non jeune homme à opter pour une carrière
seulement gérer des situations relatives à des conflits qui s’éter- placée au service des autres.
nisent mais depuis peu, il doit intégrer une difficulté supplémen-
taire dans la gestion des personnes que protège son agence, à Malgré la pandémie du coronavirus et le
savoir la pandémie du COVID‑19. confinement décrété dans de nombreux
Près de 71 millions
pays, les guerres ne se sont pas arrêtées
Au premier abord, on est frappé et des personnes continuent de fuir. Filip-
de personnes à travers par la retenue et la grande capa- po Grandi souligne que « près de 71 mil-
cité d’écoute de la personne. Ces lions d’enfants, de femmes et d’hommes
le monde sont déracinées ; qualités, héritage d’une éducation sont déracinés par les guerres et la per-
ce record historique traditionnelle du Nord de l’Italie,
où culture libérale et chrétienté se
sécution. C’est un record car les situa-
tions s’éternisent. » A ses yeux, la crise
s’explique en partie côtoient, permettent au chef du liée au COVID‑19 est grave mais, il est
par des situations
Haut-Commissariat des Nations beaucoup plus préoccupé par « la dif-
Unies pour les Réfugiés (HCR) de ficulté croissante du passage des fron-
qui s’éternisent. tout de suite mettre ses interlo- tières qui va certainement augmenter le
cuteurs à l’aise. Issu d’une famille nombre de déplacés internes ».
5
L’attitude de rejet envers
les réfugiés et les migrants
est non seulement immorale,
mais contre‑productive.
Fermetures des frontières en développement d'Amérique, d'Afrique, du Moyen-Orient ou
La mobilisation mondiale contre le COVID‑19 d'Asie où les systèmes de santé sont souvent insuffisants et déjà
a entraîné la prise de mesures exception- surchargés. Beaucoup vivent dans des camps, des sites d’instal-
nelles. Le HCR estime que 167 pays ont lation, des abris de fortune ou des centres d’accueil surpeuplés,
déjà fermé totalement ou partiellement où ils n’ont pas accès à l’eau potable et à un système d’assai-
leurs frontières pour endiguer la propaga- nissement adéquat. Filippo Grandi considère que « l’inclusion de
tion du virus. Au moins 57 États ne font ces populations dans les réponses nationales à la pandémie de
aucune exception, même pour les requé- COVID‑19 est cruciale. Elle contribue non seulement à protéger
rants d’asile. M. Grandi se dit « de plus en les droits des réfugiés et des migrants, et la santé publique, mais
plus préoccupé par les mesures adoptées aussi à endiguer la propagation mondiale du virus. » A ce jour
par certains pays qui pourraient bloquer le (30 mars 2020), 96 pays d’accueil font état d’une transmission
droit de déposer une demande d’asile. » Il locale du virus. Le HCR a lancé des campagnes d’information un
rappelle aussi qu’il est « essentiel que tous peu partout dans le monde. Des efforts massifs sont également
les migrants et réfugiés, puissent avoir ac- en cours pour distribuer du matériel d’hygiène de base dans des
cès aux services de santé. » Le Haut-Com- pays tel que le Liban, accueillant environ un million de réfugiés
missaire a demandé aux États européens syriens, le Kenya, l’Ouganda et la Tanzanie, qui abritent des réfu-
de veiller à la protection des réfugiés en giés ayant fui des conflits en Afrique.
adoptant des mesures de dépistage et de
quarantaine. Celles-ci conserveraient non Financement
seulement les routes de l’asile ouvertes Dans le cadre du plan global des Nations Unies pour l’aide hu-
mais, elles permettraient de respecter manitaire, d’un montant de 2,01 milliards de dollars, le HCR a
les normes internationales en matière de besoin de 255 millions de dollars. Cette somme, révisée à la
Le Haut- droits de l’homme et de protection des hausse en ce moment, servira pour son action urgente visant,
Commissaire réfugiés, y compris le principe de non-re- durant les neuf prochains mois, à réduire le risque et à atténuer
soutient la foulement. Pour Filippo Grandi, « plus que l’impact de la propagation du COVID‑19 sur les populations
nouvelle politique jamais, il faut faire preuve de solidarité et vulnérables. Le Haut-Commissaire, Filippo Grandi, s’inquiète
en faveur de compassion ». pour l’avenir si, à long terme, le problème socio-économique
des réfugiés, ne soit encore pire que celui lié à la pandémie. Un tel contexte
des personnes Accès aux soins freinerait certainement la générosité des donateurs. w
déplacées et La plupart des réfugiés, déplacés inter-
des structures nes, apatrides et migrants soit 25,9 mil-
d’accueil lions de personnes, vivent dans des pays * Catherine Fiankan-Bokonga est vice-présidente du Club Suisse de la Presse.
au Niger.
Les droits et la santé
des réfugiés, des migrants
et des apatrides
doivent être protégés
dans le cadre des efforts
de lutte contre le COVID‑19.
6
GROS PLAN SUR… / FOCUS ON…
Interview with
© UN PHOTO / MANUEL ELIAS
Robert Mardini,
Director General of the
International Committee
of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Prisca Chaoui*
Robert Mardini is, since
30 March 2020, the new ICRC
Director-General. Born and
raised in Lebanon and educated
in Switzerland, he has worked
extensively on the Syrian and
Yemeni conflicts. We interviewed
him to know more about his vision
of the ICRC and the challenges
that the Red Cross faces.
Robert Mardini,
new Director
General of the
You are Lebanese and an engineering engineer with my respect and love for the Red Cross family
International
graduate from EPFL in Lausanne. Why and the opportunity to make a tangible difference in a relatively
Committee
go into humanitarian work? short time frame.
of the Red
Early in my career I was working in en-
Cross (ICRC).
gineering in Switzerland, a sophisticated You now have 22 years at the ICRC and until recently repre‑
world where implementation of projects sented it at the UN in New York. Can the ICRC and UN work
takes a long time, when I learned that well together?
the ICRC was also active in water and Not only are they possible but in today’s world they are nec-
sanitation engineering in armed conflict. essary and critical if we want to leverage better results for
I was attracted to the need to identify people affected by conflict. No one organization can meet all
a critical problem and the needs, so we need to
quickly design and imple- work together in a more
ment a solution where it “ We’re not here to say organic and seamless
would have high impact
versus staying in Switzer- nice things, especially way. The ICRC and the UN
pursue different objectives
land and contributing to when civilians are in harm’s that are complementa-
projects that would take ry. The UN has a political
years. I wanted to see way, with shells and mandate and the ICRC’s
the difference that ICRC’s
work provides for people.
bombs disrupting lives is purely humanitarian.
We are and will remain
This is the moment I con- and livelihoods.” the last mile organization
nected my skillset as an speaking with all sides
7
© UN PHOTO / ESKINDER DEBEBE
Robert Mardini
addresses and crossing frontlines to help people States need to accept and respect because this is our license
the Security in need. Our impartiality, independence to operate. We’re not here to say nice things, especially when
Council meeting and neutrality are more than slogans. civilians are in harm’s way, with shells and bombs disrupting
on the situation lives and livelihoods. We cannot stay mute and we will choose
in Iraq. At the same time it is critical to shrink the the best way to convey the message. Bilaterally, multilaterally or
needs, which is possible with greater re- in the public sphere, our messaging should be principled and
spect of the rules of war. The multilateral without any ambiguity. This is critical for the ICRC.
space is crucial to sensitize States on the
importance of those rules and mobilize What is the difference between the International Com‑
all sides to respect them. Given today’s mittee of the Red Cross and the International Federation?
polarized world and fragmentated con- Many people confuse them.
flicts, political solutions are short in sup- We’re members of the same family. The Red Cross and Red
ply, with a Security Council struggling Cross Movement is the largest humanitarian network on the
to reach consensus in Syria, Yemen, planet and to make it very simple, ICRC operates in armed con-
Myanmar and elsewhere. Our work is flict and violence hand in hand with National Societies, while
a combination of convincing parties to the Federation is more focused on natural disasters and sup-
avoid conflict to protect civilians and ne- porting National Societies in particular in terms of capacity
gotiating regular humanitarian access. In building and preparedness in times of peace. And of course,
short, we cannot operate in isolation. We we work hand in hand because very often armed conflict, nat-
need to connect and join forces in the ural disasters and climate change overlap and affect the same
best interest of civilians. communities.
How does your organization fit into the It is often said that funding for humanitarian operations is
international humanitarian landscape? not meeting demand. Given your budget of over 2 billion
I think our role is as guardians of interna- Swiss francs, is this also a challenge you have to face?
tional humanitarian law and as an orga- The ICRC has increased its response in recent years and the
nization with the courage to speak truth budget has increased, which is not a good sign because larger
to power, whoever that is, and whatever ICRC budgets mean that there is more suffering and less of a
the circumstances. We maintain a very political consensus to end conflict. So before talking about bud-
robust dialogue without being compla- get the best thing is to ensure greater respect for international
cent and I think the fact that ICRC speaks humanitarian law, because if this happens it would reduce hu-
with everyone across fault lines and po- manitarian needs and funds. Meanwhile, the ICRC needs more
litical divides in an ever more polarized financial resources to support the needs in armed conflict and
world is important. It’s something that violence. There is a trend that humanitarian funding is plateau-
8
ing for many organization, You’re fluent in En‑
glish and French, but
“ The ICRC and the UN
and the ICRC is not immune
to this, so the message is also Arabic. Would
please provide more sup-
port for ICRC’s operations
pursue different objectives you consider this an
asset in your work?
so we can assist the most that are complementary. It’s clear that language
vulnerable in rebuilding their
lives and livelihoods. We need to connect and skills are a means to
develop better person-
join forces in the best al relationships and to
As DG of the ICRC, how do
interest of civilians.”
build trust with interloc-
you plan to improve rela‑ utors, including those
tions with your staff? who are not convinced
Staff well-being and duty of care is at the very core of my prior- by the mandate of the ICRC. Additional-
ities, and I’m eager to have the opportunity to listen and better ly, having an Arabic speaker as Direc-
understand the concerns, ideas and proposals of our diverse tor-General is a signal from the ICRC that
global workforce. I think there is so much more we can do to all echelons of the organization are diver-
achieve inclusion, and this will be high on the directorate’s sifying, but of course it all comes down to
agenda as I step into my new role. I am aware over the past how we can better leverage this diversity
years there has been necessary transformations, and this has for people caught up in armed conflict. w
created, perhaps, fatigue at a time when colleagues in the field
and at HQ have been mobilized to respond to the humanitarian
needs. I acknowledge this fatigue and it makes me even more
eager to ensure that we are more intentional about areas of de-
celeration but also areas of acceleration to keep our relevance * Prisca Chaoui is Executive Secretary of the
while making sure that staff well-being remains center stage. UNOG Staff Coordinating Council.
Équipe Court
et compact
—
Scie de jardin à batterie GTA 26
avec batterie Lithium-ion
La scie de jardin à batterie GTA 26 de STIHL
vous permet de réaliser confortablement
toutes sortes de travaux à la maison et dans
le jardin. Cet appareil maniable avec batterie
remplaçable est facile à utiliser et convient
parfaitement pour la deuxième coupe
d’arbres et arbustes, le broyage de déchets
verts ou les constructions avec du bois.
DÉCOUVREZ-LE MAINTENANT CHEZ
VOTRE REVENDEUR SPÉCIALISÉ.
DÉTAILS SUR STIHL.CH
GROS PLAN SUR… / FOCUS ON…
© MUSE MOHAMMED
IOM staff push
Capturing the
a boat full
of emergency
NFI’s in order
human stories behind
to reach
flood affected
villages located
humanitarian assistance
in jungle areas
of Popondetta,
Papua New
Guinea.
Muse Mohammed*
For as long as I can remember, I had a passion
for visual creativity. As a kid, I struggled storytelling, in order to illustrate themes
with painting or drawing but I always of migration around the world.
enjoyed being able to show others the things I am often told I have “the coolest job in
that I see. the Organisation” even from my super-
visors, for its uniqueness and the large
amounts of travel involved.
The coolest job at the organisation
My name is Muse Mohammed and I am the International Or- My focus is not purely on the lifesaving
ganization for Migration’s principal photographer. It is a role work IOM does around the world, but
that has evolved over the years, from primarily focusing on also the people who benefit from it and
generating professional quality visibility on the work that IOM the underlying reasons the Organization
does, to incorporating elements of photojournalism and visual is needed in the first place.
10During my early years in this role, I re-
searched how other photojournalists
covered similar subjects. I took notes “ My role within IOM sometimes
on how some of the photographers that
influence and inspire me framed their
blurs the line between
shots, lit their portraits, and wrote cap- being a humanitarian and
a photojournalist.”
tions. I quickly learned how captions can
be as important as the image itself, as it
provides the critical context that may not
be immediately obvious in the photo.
© MUSE MOHAMMED
Telling the stories of others in a digni‑
fied manner
One of the most challenging subjects
that I have had to document while on
assignment is climate change; it is a
struggle to visually illustrate in a single
frame, a problem that can take years to
manifest. In the end, I found myself using
people’s life stories in order to provide a
human timeframe which viewers might
be able to relate to.
As my role within IOM sometimes blurs
the line between being a humanitarian
and a photojournalist, I’ve found myself
incorporating elements of the former into
the latter. A key element of that is the im-
portance of depicting people and their
story with dignity whenever possible.
As a UN staff, one of my key responsibil-
ities is to ensure that I tell the stories of Aisha wipes away the tears from her son Zak as he says goodbye to his grand-
others in a dignified manner. That begins father over the phone in Beirut, Lebanon. As the Syrian family waits for their
from the moment I identify a subject. It taxi to the airport, today marks an end to a chapter in their lives where they
is critical that I obtain informed consent have been living as refugees for several years. Recently, they found out that
from my subjects and ensure that those, they are finally being resettled to Europe, where they will be able to start a
whose stories I write and share, are ful- new chapter of their lives.
ly aware of where and how their stories
© MUSE MOHAMMED
Mario visits a local community centre that provides ser-
vices of LGBTI migrants in Quito. The young Venezue-
lan migrant was exploited for work during his journey to
the Ecuadorian capital. Many Venezuelans fleeing their
country embark on dangerous journeys, often through
irregular means, in order to reach neighbouring coun-
tries.
11Theresa is one of the several el-
derly residents on the remote ou-
ter island of Likiep, The Marshall
Islands. The Marshallese woman
has seen many changes happen to
her island over the past 86 years.
She has noticed that the climate
has been getting dryer and hotter,
and because of the current 9-mon-
th dry spell, her grandchildren ex-
perience more hunger than she did
due to less food being produced.
© MUSE MOHAMMED
She also recalls the backside of
her house used to be covered by
trees, preventing her from seeing
the lagoon. Today, she sits in her
wheelchair with her grandchildren,
gone are all the trees and beaches,
will be told. Thankfully, my years of studio and their own unique stories to and that which have eroded away. Instead,
photography and using flash has allowed it is important for people to pause long all that is left is her seawall, which
me to find creative solutions in creating enough to learn who they are. w protects her land from further ero-
beautiful portraits that do not fully show sion, and a perfectly clear view
one’s face. One of the techniques I use across the lagoon.
* Muse Mohammed is a photographer at the In-
in my portraits is to ask my subjects to ternational Organization for Migration (IOM).
stand up so I can photograph them at Find more about his photos on :
eye level. Making sure that the camera http://www.musemohammedphoto.com/
is at eye level allows viewers to see the
subjects as equals instead of having to
look down at them.
As I continue to help field offices around
the world to highlight the key work that
IOM and its partners are doing, I feel in-
credibly fortunate to be able to use my
skills as both a photographer and sto-
ryteller to help humanize our response.
Each year, IOM provides assistance to
millions of people. It is extremely hard to
quantify such a number but I see my role
is to remind the public, our partners and
donors that these people have names © MUSE MOHAMMED
“ Climate Change,
a challenging subject
to be represented
A house can be seen flipped over after being ripped in half in a residential
in a photo.” area of Abaco. Two months following the landfall of a powerful category five
hurricane in the Bahamas in late September 2019, entire neighbourhoods are
still destroyed in affected areas. The storm impacted more than 70,000 people
throughout the country, and many have already begun the slow process of
rebuilding their lives.
12GROS PLAN SUR… / FOCUS ON…
© OLIVIER CHAMARD / GENEVA ACADEMY
Villa Moynier, Headquarters
of the Geneva Academy
of International
Humanitarian Law
and Human Rights.
Ensuring Respect for International Law in Armed Conflict
The Key Role of Knowledge
Dissemination
Nathalie Mivelaz Tirabosco*
In recent years, armed
of medical personnel and objects, the destruction of cultural
conflicts have reminded us that heritage, humanitarian access and assistance to civilians during
the need to ensure respect for sieges or long-lasting conflicts, the fight against terrorism, or the
status and protection of foreign fighters and their families.
international law during armed
conflicts is as acute as ever. While their work is key to enhance respect for international hu-
manitarian law (IHL) and mitigate the impact of armed conflict,
it has also close ramifications with challenging processes such
Situations of armed conflict affect the as criminal proceedings before national or international courts
lives of millions of people globally. In and tribunals, human rights investigations, multilateral negotia-
this context, humanitarian organizations tions, the implementation of sanctions, or military interventions
and workers, professionals working in on humanitarian grounds.
emergencies, human rights advocates
or diplomats are confronted to the rap- To meet these challenges and protect the most vulnerable, not
idly changing nature of armed conflicts. only IHL but other branches of international law – such as inter-
In the midst of emergencies, they have to national human rights law (IHRL), international refugee law or
address challenges related to new weap- international criminal law (ICL) – have to be taken into account
on systems and technologies, the multi- and, before that, be known by those working in armed conflicts
plication of armed groups, the protection or in relation to such situations.
13Informing Policy Training Professionals and Tomorrow’s Decision Makers
At the Geneva Academy – a joint centre of the University of Among our master’s programmes, our Executive Master in In-
Geneva and the Graduate Institute of International and Devel- ternational Law in Armed Conflict is specifically designed for
opment Studies – our core mandate is precisely to disseminate professionals with demanding jobs and responsibilities who
legal knowledge in all the branches of international law that are want to move their career forward and acquire additional re-
relevant to armed conflicts. sponsibilities after developing specialized knowledge in the law
of armed conflict directly applicable to their work.
We do so via cutting-edge research that advances understand-
ing and stimulates debate in the academic community and in Based in Geneva, this executive programme runs for 9 months
policy-making institutions and government; by providing, via (October‑June) and admits around 20 practitioners annually:
our events and conference, a critical and scholarly forum for ex- diplomats, lawyers, legal advisers, NGO staff, human rights
perts and practitioners to debate topical issues; and by training advocates, professionals working in emergencies, United Na-
professionals and young students who will ultimately become tions (UN) staff and staff from other international organizations.
tomorrow’s leaders and decision-makers. We see this transfer After the end of the courses in June, 6 additional months are
of knowledge as our involvement in the struggle for the rule needed to complete a master’s paper and defend it before a
of international law and, ultimately, as our contribution to the jury. This writing exercise allows participants to investigate a
protection of the most vulnerable. subject of special interest and deepen their knowledge and ex-
pertise through research as well as exchanges with experts,
Our current research notably examines the protection of per- scholars and practitioners.
sons with disabilities during and following armed conflict – one
of the most neglected and under-reported issues – or armed Courses cover international law, IHL, IHRL, ICL, international
non-state actors from both the perspective of their international refugee law and the interplay between them. They also ad-
human rights law (IHRL) obligations and of their practice and dress current issues and challenges, including the repression
interpretation of IHL and IHRL norms. One of our leading proj- of terrorism, peacekeeping, the responsibility to protect, or war
ects, the Rule of Law in Armed Conflict (RULAC) online portal, crimes and crimes against humanity. When participants cannot
identifies and classifies all situations of armed violence that attend a course for professional reasons (e.g. missions, travel,
amount to an armed conflict under IHL. RULAC currently mon- conferences), they can listen to a podcast afterwards.
itors more than 37 armed conflicts involving at least 52 states
and provides, for each conflict, information on the parties and For those who do not want to follow the entire programme or
applicable international law. are interested in developing specific knowledge on a particular
issue, our short courses address key issues like international
refugee law, the interplay between IHL and IHRL, the law of
non-international armed conflicts, truth commissions, or the re-
sponsibility to protect.
Measuring Impact
It is often hard to measure the impact of this transfer of knowl-
edge, both for the most vulnerable – who are our ultimate ben-
eficiaries – but also for its influence on policies, the multilateral
A course of the agenda, decision-making processes and or for the respect and
Executive Master implementation of IHL and IHRL on the ground.
in International
Law in Armed The fact that our alumni are employed around the world in re-
Conflict sponsibility positions where they promote and protect IHL and
© OLIVIER CHAMARD / GENEVA ACADEMY
human rights is, in itself, a sign that we do not work in a vacu-
um. Similarly, the findings of our research regularly inform policy
Villa Moynier, where we have our offices and unique meeting recommendations and support human rights and humanitarian
facilities in the heart of international Geneva, enables us to host practitioners working in the field and at headquarters. Last but
meetings that diplomats, civil servants, practitioners, academ- not least, one could wonder what our world would look like
ics and representatives of civil society regularly attend to infor- without this dissemination of solid, important and scientifically
mally discuss and explore innovative solutions to human rights sound knowledge. w
and IHL issues that are on the agenda of Geneva-based institu-
tions. Our IHL Talks, a series of events held every two months at
lunchtime address current IHL and humanitarian topics, like the
humanitarian, policy and legal challenges related to the fate of
foreign fighters and their relatives (allegedly) affiliated with ISIS * Nathalie Mivelaz Tirabosco is Communication Manager at the Geneva Aca
and detained in northeast Syria. demy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights..
14© UN PHOTO
VU DE L’INTÉRIEUR / INSIDE VIEW
“ Last autumn I received
a special training
on business continuity,
but I never thought
I would have to use it.”
Interview with UNOG Director-General Tatiana Valovaya:
We were prepared for
the pandemic, but it will have
financial consequences
Prisca Chaoui and Ian Richards*
Her email broadcasts have
become a regular fixture during
We ask her (by videoconference – COVID oblige) how she has
our confinement. But what dealt with the challenge, the financial constraints facing the or-
of the Director‑General ganization, her views on teleworking, how staff will return to the
Palais, and the future of open space.
herself ? Only recently arrived
in her position, Tatiana Valovaya UNOG was among the first HQ duty stations to take the
decision to close its premises and to ask its staff to tele‑
has had to confront a situation commute. Could you let us know what were the concrete
unknown to her predecessors. measures you took to ensure business continuity at a time
when UNOG wasn’t prepared for such a scenario ?
We started telecommuting practically at the same time as Vien-
na and New York but were prepared very early, with scenarios
at the ready for pandemics such as COVID. For this I received
a special training last autumn in New York, although I never
thought I would have to use it. And then in January, we updated
our business continuity plan. Prior to closure we had two weeks
of full preparation to ensure business continuity before we went
to full teleworking.
15© UN PHOTO / MATIJA POTOCNIK
“ Unfortunately our financial situation
is worse than one year ago.”
I am also the designated official for Swit-
zerland and responsible for security not
only of UNOG but of the whole United
Nations family in the country. On the
Saturday before the closure, I convened
the Security Management Team, which Empty offices
comprises representatives of all United is not the reason for this. I am very prag- at Palais
Nations organizations in Geneva. The matic and know we will face many finan- des Nations.
situation was deteriorating fast. We real- cial constraints in the upcoming year. We
ized at that point that it wasn’t enough to are preparing for different scenarios.
have teleworking as an option, but that it
would have to be made mandatory. Our priority remains the payment of salaries. For this, there is
already a recruitment freeze. And we are cutting all non-essen-
© UN PHOTO / MATIJA POTOCNIK
tial expenses. But some expenses will increase. Cleaning for
example. Once we are back to work, we will need to keep a high
level of hygiene to protect staff.
Talking about post-COVID, we are realizing that some jobs are
crucial to the organization, mainly in the field of information
technology. Unfortunately, some jobs will be less secure.
For conferences, we can expect a positive change. Even before
this pandemic, we had started to think about video conferenc-
ing and how to conduct international activities online. There is
a golden opportunity for many of our staff to acquire new skills
and train others. We need to be more competitive once this cri-
sis is over. UNOG has many possibilities to show its leadership
within the system.
Empty parking An important number of staff who are currently experienc‑
at Palais I am proud to say that staff are delivering ing teleworking believe that it isn’t the way forward because
des Nations. very well. Some teams are even working of different constraints, personal and professional. Do you
more than before, and I would like to believe that the UN will witness an important shift in its way
thank them for their hard work. of operating once the COVID‑19 crisis is over?
Personally, I never regarded teleworking as a new, exclusive
Many are already talking about the af‑ way of working. Teleworking can be useful for some staff, main-
termath of COVID‑19 and the financial ly for those with young children or those who need flexibility for
crisis that will certainly impact the UN a better work/home balance. Nobody thought that teleworking
and, potentially, job security. What are would be five days a week.
your views on this and what measures
will you take to preserve job security ? This experience shows that teleworking is difficult and de-
Unfortunately, the current crisis is not im- manding. It makes us work 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
proving our financial situation. It is now We stay on call all the time. As humans we need to socialize, to
worse than one year ago, and COVID‑19 meet to brainstorm and discuss, to be part of a physical com-
munity, to work in teams. And these are
“ Teleworking is difficult
the main limitations of teleworking. I be-
lieve that once we are back to normal,
and demanding, we are on call telework will be more present in certain
professions for efficiency reasons. How-
all the time.” ever, it won’t be imposed. It will always
be the individual choice of staff.
16Even though there is no clear Of course, we have
indication of a potential return serious limitations.
in the near future, could you let “ We won’t encourage staff There is the SHP
us know the measures you en‑
visage to take to ensure a safe
to return to work unless budget and pro-
gramme, the Gen-
return to work for all staff ? You we are sure they will be eral Assembly de-
safe.”
have already mentioned the cision on flexible
increased level of hygiene. Do working space and
you envisage a return of staff all these are things
in batches for example ? that cannot be changed. So, we have to
Any decision we take needs to be aligned with the Swiss fed- work based on these elements and im-
eral and cantonal authorities. Switzerland will probably adopt a plement the solutions that can be found
gradual approach regarding the return to work. We will include through discussion.
staff representatives in designing the programme for the return.
For staff in Geneva,
I hope the decision on return to work will be taken in a coordi- open space is a future, “ I understand staff
nated fashion by all international organizations in Geneva as it
was for telecommuting.
whereas in New York
it is the present. Staff
awareness and anxiety
in New York will go regarding open space.”
One important thing is that we won’t encourage staff to return back to work in open
to work unless we are sure they will be safe. A gradual return to space, and we need to
work is envisaged, as we don’t want to compromise the results learn from their expe-
of the confinement that have proven useful up to now. Indeed, rience. But as the construction work has
we don’t have many cases of infected staff. slowed down now, the move to H build-
ing will, likely, also be postponed. w
As you know, UNOG staff have expressed concerns re‑
garding open space in the new H building as part of the
SHP renovation project. With the COVID‑19, the concerns
* Prisca Chaoui is Executive Secretary of the
are back on the table for medical reasons. Do you envisage UNOG Staff Coordinating Council. Ian Richards
changes in the workspace layout of H building to answer is Staff representative.
those concerns ?
I understand staff awareness and anxiety regarding open space.
We have already put in place a consultative mechanism to dis-
cuss, through staff representatives, the concerns and questions Empty cafeteria
that were asked during the 27 February townhall. at Palais
des Nations.
© UN PHOTO / MATIJA POTOCNIK
17VU DE L’INTÉRIEUR / INSIDE VIEW
L’ONU Genève œuvre pour
le bien-être de son personnel
Héléna Champenois*
Face aux défis posés par l’actuelle
pandémie de COVID‑19 sur la santé
et le moral de son personnel,
L’ONU Genève face aux nouvelles réa‑
l’ONU Genève mise sur la solidarité lités apportées par COVID‑19
à travers plusieurs initiatives. La pandémie de COVID‑19 qui sévit de-
puis plusieurs semaines s’accompagne
d’un certain nombre de défis auxquels
il est nécessaire de faire face. L’Office
des Nations Unies à Genève ne fait pas
© ONUG
exception à la règle et doit également
s’adapter à de nouvelles réalités – télé-
travail, usage des nouvelles technologies
ou encore recherche d’un équilibre entre
vies professionnelles et personnelles.
Les efforts, le professionnalisme et l’en-
gagement démontrés par son personnel
depuis le début de la crise permettent
à l’ONU Genève de maintenir un grand
nombre de ses activités mandatées,
y compris de manière virtuelle.
Image annonçant
le lancement
du Village virtuel
de l’ONU Genève.
18Capture d'écran
d'un message
Alors que l’épidémie continue, vidéo enregistré
ces initiatives illustrent la solidarité,
par la Directrice
générale au début
la détermination et la résilience de ce mois, dans
lequel elle transmet
dont font preuve les membres du personnel un message
de la famille des Nations Unies à Genève. de solidarité
avec le personnel
en ces temps de crise
(https://youtu.be/
ki3TU9mSO7A).
Si l’activité continue, l’ONU Genève est
consciente des changements imposés
par l’épidémie et de leur impact sur le
bien-être de son personnel. Soucieuse
de leur apporter un soutien, l’Organisa-
tion a mis en place plusieurs initiatives
visant à atténuer le stress et l’anxiété
parfois grandissants après plusieurs se-
maines de confinement, à faire appel à
la solidarité et offrir une aide qu’elle soit
sociale ou matérielle, et à maintenir les
relations entre collègues.
Quelles initiatives pour soutenir le per‑
sonnel ?
Un soutien psychosocial d’abord avec
la mise en service d’un numéro vert
– 0800 909 400 – joignable en tout temps
et offrant une écoute ainsi que les conseils
et l’aide de professionnels de la santé.
Parallèlement une adresse e‑mail a été
créée – UNOG-COVID-Qs@un.org – Alors que l’épidémie continue, ces initiatives illustrent la so-
afin de répondre aux questions du per- lidarité, la détermination et la résilience dont font preuve les
sonnel et de leur partager des informa- membres du personnel de la famille des Nations Unies à Ge-
tions récentes. Pour d’autres désireux de nève. Elles permettent surtout de surmonter les incertitudes
recevoir une aide plus sociale ou encore liées à la suite des évènements et sauront sans aucun doute
matérielle, un réseau de soutien volon- perdurer bien au-delà de ces temps difficiles. w
taire a été établi. Qu’il s’agisse de faire
quelques courses, récupérer un colis, ou
* Héléna Champenois est administratrice adjointe de la gestion des pro-
simplement venir dire bonjour et discuter,
grammes au bureau de la Directrice générale de l’ONUG. Elle est aussi
l’initiative met en relation ceux souhaitant membre de la Task Force sur le volontariat qui travaille à l’élaboration des
offrir leur aide et ceux qui en auraient initiatives mentionnées dans l’article.
besoin. Enfin, pour simplement maintenir
le lien social du travail, retrouver ses col-
lègues de manière virtuelle, échanger et
se soutenir mutuellement pendant cette
période, l’ONU Genève a construit un
village virtuel grâce à la plateforme Mi- Si l’activité continue, l’ONU Genève
crosoft Teams. Le village comprend dif- est consciente des changements imposés
férents canaux d’intérêt et est géré, là en-
core, par des volontaires qui relaient des par l’épidémie et de leur impact
informations pertinentes, répondent aux
questions de leurs collègues et prennent
sur le bien-être de son personnel.
part aux conversations qui se créées.
19VU DE L’INTÉRIEUR / INSIDE VIEW
28th of April International day
for safety and health at work
A Healthy Workforce
© DANIEL OLAH / @DANESDUET
for a Better World
Mary Leahy*
Have you heard about the UN’s Mental
Health and Well‑being Strategy ?
UN staff, diplomats and international employees, are often at-
tracted to working in the humanitarian field, we want to make
the world a better place. Working helps us to feel good, we are
motivated to help others, we have a strong sense of purpose,
yet this work can be very challenging and emotionally exhaust-
ing. The UN cares about your mental health and well-being and
is actively working to improve things so that staff will be happier
at work and in turn in their personal lives. Did you know that
results from staff surveys find that working in Geneva or New
York can be more stressful than working in the field ?
Implementing a workplace mental health strategy means
thinking about our actual workplace environment as well as
our health. We can think about how our work setting can
affect us; positively or negatively, as well as the effect our
mental health has on our ability to do our jobs.
What can we do to contribute to a healthier workplace ?
For example, we can try to become more conscious of
the language we use, what does calling someone ‘mad’
or ‘crazy’ mean ? These words have power. We can
help reduce the stigma and fear of coming forward to
ask for support by being mindful of our own behaviour
and thoughts, be aware of our own prejudices and al-
ways try to challenge our own beliefs. Ask ourselves, is
it a fact or an opinion? We can encourage staff who are
not feeling well to confide in someone, a colleague, a
manager, to not be afraid to be vulnerable and to share
their experiences.
Many of us will experience poor mental health at some
point in our lives, as many as 1 in 5 of the world’s popula-
tion are experiencing anxiety or depression every day. The
good news is that there is treatment. We can get better.
20The Staff Counsellor’s Office sessions are on Thurs-
– Who are we and how can
we help ?
Many of us will experience days at 1 pm. Research
shows that Mindful-
The Staff Counsellor’s Office poor mental health ness Meditation reduc-
at some point in our lives,
would like to wish you all good es high blood pressure,
health and well-being. So, who improves attention
are we and how can we help ? as many as 1 in 5 and sensory process-
Staff Counsellors are based ing, and physically
all around the world, we are of the world’s population alters the parts of the
a group of people who come
from a range of backgrounds
are experiencing anxiety brain associated with
learning, memory, and
and different experiences or depression every day. perspective-taking. If
working in the domain of men- Mindfulness is not for
tal health and well-being. Our you, how about going
primary goal is the prevention of illness. We work with staff and for a walk in the grounds of the Palais
teams to encourage everyone to try to tackle any problems in or walk or jog to the lake. It doesn’t mat-
working life or personal life as early as possible. Our experi- ter what you do, just try something, your
ence shows that seeking support sooner can help staff to avoid mind will thank you.
experiencing emotional exhaustion (sometimes referred to as
burnout). Remember you are not alone, if you are
struggling with something at work or
Strong leadership and management are also key factors in en- at home, please reach out and talk to
suring good mental health and well-being for supervisees. By someone. Seeking help early makes a
promoting awareness and knowing the signs and symptoms difference to your recovery. Professional
for conditions like anxiety, emotional exhaustion and depres- staff are available both within the UN (or
sion, managers can identify and support staff on their team outside with the support of health insur-
who may be struggling. Managing can also be demanding and ance). w
challenging, the Staff Counsellor’s Office can help you to devel-
op skills to take good care of yourself and others and remind all
of us to take some time out to rest and have a break.
Mental health can have a negative connotation, however, just
like our physical bodies can become tired after a long week at
work, our brains can also feel overloaded, our minds need a USEFUL LINKS :
rest and some peace. Some of us may think nothing of having a w https://iseek.un.org/gva/staff-counsellors-office
massage to ease pain in our bodies, what about the muscles in w https://www.un.org/en/healthy-workforce/
our mind ? How can we relax and reenergize our most import-
ant organ, our brain ? w https://hr.un.org/sites/hr.un.org/files/Mental%20
Health%20Well%20Being%20Strategy_FINAL_2018_
What can you do to help keep yourself healthy and safe at ENGLISH_0.pdf
work ?
We all know that we should take regular breaks, we could try to
drink more water, less coffee, be less sedentary and eat health-
ier food, but it is hard to change our habits, especially when we
are busy with deadlines. Here in the Palais the Staff Counsel-
lor’s Office provides guided Mindfulness Meditation sessions. * Mary Bridget Leahy, MBACP, is Staff Counsellor
These sessions last for 25 minutes, everyone is welcome (you (Mental Health & Well-being) at HRMS, United
can wear your work clothes). Please come and join us on Tues- Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG).
days at 1 pm and Wednesdays at 12 pm
in room C.018. During these sessions
you will practice how to sit peacefully Remember you are not alone,
if you are struggling with something
with your thoughts and feelings in the
present moment, creating an inner calm
to help contain and reduce stress. We at work or at home, please
also offer Mindfulness Yoga to help you
find a balance between the busy pace of reach out and talk to someone.
work and your mental well-being. These
21VU DE L’INTÉRIEUR / INSIDE VIEW
A time for civility
and office kinship
Christel Nonnenmacher*
The COVID‑19 pandemic strongly
impacts our habits, as working
virtually for longer periods 5. Use free time (if any) to catch up on projects, learn a new
is a new experience for many. skill or improve existing products.
6. Keep connected with those you usually share lunches and
We offer you some tips to make coffees with by moving the venue to… online! It’s a time to
this work ! care and listen to each other’s concerns, whether work-re-
lated or private, without judgement. And help each other
cope with challenges.
7. Be kind : it’s a good time to think about what others bring
Your Ombudsman is here to help! to our lives, how the connection enriches our relations at
In this trying period, your Regional Ombudsman, Mr. Theotoca- work. Show appreciation with a word, a compliment, a note
tos, and his assistant, Ms. Debbi Varidel, are here to help. of gratitude : small acts of kindness go a long way in keeping
us socially connected while physically distancing.
Confidential one-on-one sessions and mediations can be con-
ducted via Skype, Teams, phone, etc. We continue to respond
© UNITED NATIONS OMBUDSMAN
to all requests for conflict resolution services immediately. All it
takes is for you to contact us.
Creating a positive work environment
In this new normal, most of us are discovering a new work envi-
ronment – our homes – with new challenges and opportunities.
Establishing a positive work environment is key to being able to
sustain our efforts for the weeks and months to come.
So far, from our conversations with visitors and stakeholders
across the Organization, we have identified some tips for you to
avoid potential conflict:
1. Allow for everyone to adjust to the new reality with appropri- Contact us !
ate time, space and empathy. If you have any concern, don’t hesitate and contact your Re-
2. Check in with colleagues to see how everyone is doing. gional Ombudsman’s Office:
The new reality and the challenges it poses to isolated col- w Mr. Nicholas Theotocatos, Regional Ombudsman • Email :
leagues, single parents, etc. affect work and morale, and the nicholas.theotocatos@un.org • Tel. (+41) 22‑917‑3760
expectations we can have of one another.
w Ms. Debbi Varidel, Assistant • Email : debbi.varidel@un.org •
3. Organize your team’s work, and discuss plans, priorities and
Tel. (+41) 22‑917‑3374
achievements daily (or at regular intervals), reassigning tasks
when necessary. We look forward to speaking with you.
4. Communicate effectively about work plans, deadlines, ex-
pectations and any change in responsibilities, taking into From our entire team to you : be safe and stay healthy ! w
consideration colleagues’ situations and/or added compli-
cations to prevent wrong expectations and miscommuni-
cations, which may lead to misunderstanding, irritation, and * Christel Nonnenmacher is Communications Officer at the United Nations
conflict. Ombudsman and Mediation Services.
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