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Interview with Ala Almoman

the newly appointed Chef de Cabinet

at the International Organization for Migration (10M)

Despite what people say, the
Mr. Ala Almoman was
presence of the United Nations
recently appointed as
Director, Chef de Cabinet has contributed a great deal to
global peace aiid stability.
at the International
Organization for Migration
(10M), but before that he Q: Do you think that the
enjoyed a long and UN has lost goodwill?
distinguished career in the
United Nations in Geneva I don't think that the UN has
and various field mis- lost goodwill. The UN does a
sions. He is a hardworking great deal of good - but people
man with a big heart. His out there do not receive
office is like a museum adequate inforination. They
say: "Where is tlie UN?" But
with souvenirs and
memorabilia from the you are familiar with the
different countries in mechanism. It is the Member
which he has served, States and often tlie host
including photos with countiy that decide what to do

Heads of State, UN SGs in a countiy, not necessaiily
(Boutros Boutros Ghali, United Nations' peacekeepers
Kofi Annan and Ban ki or the Secretai'iat.
moon) and gifts from his
colleagues, not to mention It is sripposed to be the
mandate that tells yori what yori
from the historical events Dirctor General VVilliam Lacy Swing (to the right)
at which he has been pre- welcomes Ala Almoman (left) to IOM can and cannot do. I can tell
sent, beginning with the you from my personal
first democratic elections experience that some peace-
guislied Special Peacekeeping is veiy sensitive keeping missions have
in South Africa in 1994.
Representatives over a pei'iod and eveiy move is detennined developed their priorities and
of five years - and I worked by tlie Secu'ity Council and by only after they
Q: What is your back- programiries
through them all as the Cliief of the Secretaiy-General ii'i close have arrived in the host counhy.
ground?
Protocol and Liaison iii cliarge concert with national actors.
of Extemal Relations. Success comes from this For instance, rnilitaiy peace-
I undertook post-graduate
relationsliip.
studies in political science and keepers liave built schools in
In Januaiy 2000, I left Haiti and
economics in Geneva and Lyon the areas wliere they have been
joined Mr. Jacqries Paul Klein, These peacekeeping Missions located. They have also attemp-
(France) in the mid-1970s.
After that, I became acquainted the Special Representative of were a success in iiriplementing ted to print scliool books,
the Secretaiy-Gei'ieral and their respective mandates of the always with liinited resorirces
with tlie UN diplomatic corps
and began working with tbe Head of the {Jf%J inission in {JN Secirity Coruicil. There are in areas wl'iere tlie UN partners
Bosnia-Herzegovina, stationed many positive stories, but are not located. If a inilitaiy

Arab Lea@ie. I spent 17 years
in Sarajevo, where I worked iii journalists, as yori know, often
with the Arab League before force possesses a medical rinit
the fi'ont office for three-and-a- overlook tlie positive events and and that rinit is not required to
joining the UN in 1994. My
lialf years as Chief of Protocol focus on sensational issues, Or personnel, they
first assigiunent was iit South treat militaiy
and Liaison. I was then appoiii- on peace processes thatliave fal- care for the local population.
Ahica from Febi'uaiy to July
1994. It was a pleasire to be ted iii July 2003 as the Chef de tered. It is the liotspots tliat inte-
the
not
included iii that mission. Cabinet to the Secretai'y- rest the media, We do tliese things when we are
General's Special Represent- success stories. For instance, iii the field and they are
Working with the Special
Representative, Mr Lakhdar ative for Western Sahara, South Afi'ica was a very welcomed by the local popula-
Alvaro de Soto. After only one positive experience; see what the
Brahimi, was an honour iii tion. They can
montli, Mr. de Soto was asked Mozambique was aiiother suc- United Nations is doing. If
itself.
by the Secretaiy-General to do cess story; Bosnia and there is the possibility of doing
some mediation work in Herzegovina; Cypius is going on the social side, we
After retiu'iiing to Geneva, Mi'. more
Cypn+s, and I then became the well; Cambodia is a positive
Brahiini was appoiiited Special would do it!
Representative for Haiti and officer-iii-charge of the inission example; iii LatinAinerica tliere
asked me to join lmn tliere, before retuiniiig, in July 2004, is Guatemala and many others Q: Why aren't these kinds
from 1948 to date. We proceed
wich I did iii November 1994. tO UNOG. of things promoted by the
from peacekeeping to peace
The United Nations mission iiy media?
building and development and
Haiti evolved with foir diffe- Q: Were these peace-
rent mandates ru'ider forir distiii- keeping missions a then we leave wlien tlie job is If you were to look closely at
success? done.
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