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families or take a break. We send a plane somebody has had a heart attack, or is Q: Isn't there a way of negotiating
to pick them up and bring them back here in pain, etc. We always have to be ready if something significant occurs?
so that they can go on leave. When their to intervene.
tour of duty finishes, we bring them back After it has been approved, nothing!
here, we check them out, give them a So that's what it is like. You cannot just The budget is approved by the Member
ticket and ship them back home. We take leave things to run themselves and the States; it goes through the legislative bo-
charge from the minute they leave their situation is always changing, whether dies and is approved for your activities.
beloved ones until we send them back. it's the technology, or the wear and tear You have to justify everything -- why
on equipment and facilities. We need to you are asking for this and that. With the
Q: It seems to be quite challenging. ensure that everything is done on time. global economic situation, this is a very
difficult situation and everyone knows
Yes it is, because we cover a large and Q: What about the budgetary that it is also a hard time for Member
very difficult area. It's our responsibility situation? States. Of course, the Member States
to ensure that the services are provided try to help as much as they can, but they
24 hours per day, 7 days a week for 365 Our budget is submitted one year in are also facing similar problems. The
days a year. There is no such thing as a advance, so there are times when you peacekeeping mission operations are
day off. plan for one situation but when the time reaching a point where they are diffi-
comes something else may occur. If cult to manage. That's the situation. It
Q: Does this mean that you are something unexpected happens, it's my is for this reason that our management
never on holiday? responsibility to move resources from a of peacekeeping and support always
planned activity to cover this new issue, encourages us to save money by being
We do take holidays, but nevertheless and I have to justify why I did that to the more efficient, by doing more with less,
we have to operate at full capacity even Member States. Let us say that I submit by trying to economize as much as pos-
during holidays or weekends. We have my draft budget in June 2011 covering sible. It increases the pressure on us to
to ensure that full services are provided the period July 2012 to June 2013. We find solutions to the problems we face.
in case of need, whether it's life-saving have to think about what we will need When we have problems we have to find
or routine. in one year's time. But when the time the solutions ourselves; there is no point
comes a lot of things may have changed. of going begging to Headquarters --
We may have somebody who is bitten Nevertheless, once the budget has been you have to solve the problem yourself!
by a snake and we have to bring them approved you have to live with what you
back here. Sometimes it may be that have been given.

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