Page 48 - Bulletin, Vol.82 No.1, April 2023

Where were you during the Second Did you work here, in Geneva in the
World War? Headquarters, or did you work only in
the field?
When the war started in 1939, I was in
France with my mother. My father died in I worked only in the field; and in the
1937 when I was 10 years old. The Headquarters, I was writing the report of
question arose then whether to send me the missions.
to my grandmother in Switzerland where I My mission in Tunisia for WHO was
would be safer away from the war and recognized, and UNCTAD proposed me a
occupation. So, I came to live with my preliminary field mission on how to assist
grandmother in Geneva.
in providing transit for the countries of the
So, you were in Geneva even before the Great Lakes and Uganda.
birth of the United Nations?
The main purpose of this preliminary
In 1939, in Geneva there was already the mission was to prepare the analysis for
League of Nations. That was the the study to be carried out by UNCTAD
organization that preceded the United “Purchase by the Government of Burundi
Nations. of rolling stock (wagons, locomotives, ferry
boats) to ensure the transportation of
How did you start working for the goods between Bujumbura and the port of
United Nations?
Dar es Salaam“. To this end, the study
My wife had a permanent position at the had to take into consideration: (a) the cost
UN (UNCTAD) and I had professional of the required infrastructure in Kigoma
experience working abroad. My interest in and Bujumbura; (b) the preparation of a
temporary field missions as an expert and basic document for a draft bilateral
consultant and my contacts with the UN, agreement on the transit and
allowed me to get my first mission with management of rolling stock between
WHO in 1979 in Tunisia. The objectives of Burundi and Tanzania.
this preliminary mission were: (a) to What was the most significant event
identify programs or projects for that impressed you most during your
immediate technical or financial career/work?
assistance; (b) to identify a "package" of
technical activities that could be What impressed me most was how much
undertaken by GTZ/WHO during the the developing countries depend on the
period July 1979 to December 1980. The United Nations.
mission worked in cooperation with What other assignments have you
Government officials and agencies performed?
engaged with the sector, with the UNDP
Resident Representative acting as central Given my experience and qualifications,
coordinator for The International Water the Office of the United Nations Disaster
and Sanitation Decade (editor note: The Relief Coordinator asked me to participate
International Drinking Water and in the writing of a brochure "Disaster
Sanitation Decade) Prevention and Mitigation.

46 AAFI-AFICS BULLETIN, Vol. 82 No. 1, 2023-04

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