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Diplomats’ spouses

Interview with
radiona niKoVa

wife of Ambassador, Vice-President of the UNWG

Tell us about yourself, and about your life in As you can see, I am striving to combine my
Geneva. Is it different from the one you had in professional development with family life, which
Bulgaria? is not easy. But sometimes there is a favourable
Thank you for your interest in me. I have a confluence of circumstances and I am currently
master’s degree in Bulgarian literature, and on leave due to my husband’s fifth ambassadorial
I specialized in cultural studies and public term. Geneva gives me the opportunity to be
administration at Sofia University, and later close to my interests without being professionally
on - in human rights and media issues in engaged.
Strasbourg. I have participated in training
courses at ENA - Paris and on European You are the Vice-President of the UNG, tell us
integration in Helsinki. My professional career about this role, and if there are other activities
began as an editor, presenter and international you are engaged in.
anchor for the Bulgarian National Radio, which UNWG is a nonprofit organization, my
is an authoritative public media in Bulgaria. commitment is entirely voluntary, and the work
Subsequently, I have been working in the field I do is entirely pro bono. For me, this is “work
of children’s rights for more than 25 years, in at full speed” and a natural extension of my
recent years as Director of Policies, International professional interests, to which a new challenge
Cooperation and Coordination in the State has been added – organization of cultural
Agency for Child Protection, a specialized body visits, of the traditional monthly matinées café,
under the Council of Ministers in Bulgaria. In meetings with interesting personalities and many
general, the topic of human rights has always other activities. I must note that within 2 years I
occupied me over the years, and I am extremely was able, with the help of friends from Geneva
pleased that the professional destiny of my and other ambassadors’ wives, to offer more
husband Yuri Sterk, Ambassador, Permanent than 40 events to our community - a real revival
Representative of Bulgaria to the UN and other after the Covid 19 confinements. I am grateful
international organizations, brought us to to the UN Women’s Guild that they appreciated
Geneva. my work and at our last assembly gave me a vote

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