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International




              “I have been truly overwhelmed                 that was the reason for your decision? Maybe you felt                    is not a secret, do you plan to build something
                                                             that it was a time to change?                                            more?
              by the inspiration for life I’ve found
                                                             You’re absolutely right, this is a fact I’ve been sensitive              The  poet  Carl  Sandburg  once  wrote  “Time
              through the countless individuals I’m          to for many years. There’s certainly a number of cases                   is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you
              so lucky to call my family, my friends         out there that advise one should not be in high-pressure                 have, and only you can determine how it will be
                                                             positions for more than 5 years, for fear of a various list of           spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend
              and my colleagues.”                            potential mental and physical health issues in the future.               it for you”.

                                                             I don’t disagree with this, at all. I believe that change,
              how they think and operate. They need someone they can  in any various form, can renew one’s perspectives and           The most important fact I’ve learned working
              trust. Someone they can speak with openly, whether on a  energy for personal and professional life.                     for others over the years is, Only I am willing
              good day or a bad day. The USG needs someone that will                                                                  to chase my happiness! My wife and I agree on
              tell them the truth, even if it’s not the desirable choice at  In recent years, I have noticed that my mind and body    this fact. After being together for nearly 2 and
              the moment. This is what made them all the same. This  aren’t what they used to be. I feel the fatigue of a day for     half decades, we chose to continue our chase
              is what I tried to provide every single day. This, I believe,  a longer period, while it also takes me longer to recover.   into the next 2 and a half decades!
              is a big part of what we all need and want in our lives.  These  are  definitely  the  thoughts  that  go  through  my
              People we can trust and feel truly comfortable with. My  head  more  often  these  days.  Thoughts  that  I  believe    There  are  many  things  to  come  for  my   With  Olga  Algayerova,  last  days,  farewell.
              entire goal was simple; be a good person, to everyone,  contributed to my decisions to leave the organization.          wife and I in the years ahead. We intend on   Courtesy Ryan Kennedy
              no matter what, no matter why, just be a good human.                                                                    changing our lives in the most overwhelming
                                                             I always considered myself lucky and unlucky all at once.                and  wonderful  ways.  But,  please,  I’ve
              You had only one “gender” disbalance – despite the UN  Lucky because I’ve had the honour and pleasure of serving        already  spoken  too  much  as  is.  Perhaps,
              gender politics, it so happened, that among your bosses,  4 consecutive USG’s. Each one provided an environment         with  some  luck,  I’ll  be  able  to  connect  with
              three were men and only one woman.             and vision that was so different from the other. With the                DIVA  International  Diplomat  again  and  fill
              I’m  very  happy  you  addressed  this  topic,  it’s  become  a  arrival of each USG, it was like starting a new position,   you  in  on  further  details  on  our  progress.
              considerable  highlight  in  my  career  thus  far.  Until  the  in a new organization, it was exhilarating in a way. This,
              current  UNECE  Executive  Secretary,  H.E.  Ms.  Olga  like many other reasons, are likely the reasons I stayed        With  pleasure.  We  think  that  our  readers
              Algayerova, arrived, I had never professionally worked for a  dedicated  to  the  Office  of  the  Executive  Secretary.  In   will be interested to learn what life outside or
              woman. In fact, I had never even considered that fact until  time, I felt personally responsible for its successes, and   beyond the UN can be like.
              Ms. Algayerova was appointed to the UNECE. Strangely,  its failures. Still, no matter who was in office at the time,
              the day I heard the news of her arrival I felt immediate  I was always able to look back fondly, and feel I was able    Post Scriptum: We do hope that his interview
              relief, the kind you get when something familiar is executed  to make a positive overall impact. On this high note, I   will be of interest to us all, and perhaps we all
              exactly as planned. I’ll explain. I was raised by a family full  felt it was time that I gracefully bowed out and directed   should also re-assess our roles and our usefulness
              of very strong minded, intelligent, hard working women.  my  energy  and  attention  to  the  next  long-term  focus.   to the Organization too. Very often, we stick or
              I  even  married  a  very  strong  minded,  intelligent,  and                                                           even  grip  to  the  position,  sometimes  bringing
              hard-working  woman.  These  women  instilled  in  me  the  What personal memories will you take with you?              value,  but  sometimes  not  even,  just  working   With Sven Alkalaj. On the same photo from left to right:
              foundational principals I live my life by today.   The  personal  memories  I’m  taking  with  me  are                  honestly  for  salary  without  high  inspirations.   the   current  and  the  former  UN  Secretaries-General
                                                             impossible to count. One of the best take-aways from my                  Maybe this act of Ryan will be a ringing bell for   Antonio  Guterres  and  the  former  UNOG  Director-
              Learning I was going to have the opportunity to work for a  experience in the United Nations is the relationships I’ve   a medium and young generation, especially for   General Tokayev.
              woman who was appointed by the United Nations Secretary-  built over the years. I have been truly overwhelmed by        those who have already contributed a lot, and
              General was exactly what I was hoping for. Allow me to say  the inspiration for life I’ve found through the countless   who are often frustrated that there is not much   With Christian Friis Bach. Courtesy Ryan Kennedy
              here that working for H.E. Ms. Algayerova over the last 4  individuals I’m so lucky to call my family, my friends and   left to do – maybe Ryan with his very courageous
              and half years has been nothing short of exceptional. Don’t  my colleagues. I’ve been able to learn and grow under      example  is  showing  us  the  way  forward.  Yes,
              get me wrong, the 3 male USG’s I worked for left with me  the most international roof in the world, through some        undoubtedly,  to  work  for  the  UN  is  a  high
              so many brilliant experiences and knowledge I will never  of smartest, most robust people the planet has to offer.      privilege, and maybe the highest privilege. But
              forget. But, none of them were able to open my view to new  Thanks  to  this  experience,  I  now  have  thousands  of   once  we  have  made  our  contribution,  maybe
              angles of thinking and a heightened sense of my personal  personal memories that I will carry with me forever.          there  is  also  the  time  “to  collect  stones”.  And
              empathy and consideration. I now know this can only be                                                                  yes, there is a life after UN too, and if a person
              experienced when working for a strong minded, intelligent  You are resigning from the UN, and your resignation,         wants  to  make  a  contribution  and  to  change
              and  hard-working  woman.  The  experience  has  done  after  such  successes,  make  many  of  us  think  and  re-     the life (or even the planet), there are ways and
              nothing short of change my life for the better.  asses our roles. When a person retires due to age factor,              means to do it. We should not be “glued” to our
                                                             there is no other solution, but in the middle of the career              positions, contracts, etc. If we feel that our time
              They say that such an exigent job and the overexposure  – when a person full of forces with many years ahead            is up, there are other ways to consider where to
              to stress require change, at least, after 5 years. Maybe  – and capable to build something else or more... If this      be useful (to people and/or to the society).



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