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international international

She is a familiar face in the United Nations, resolve the conflicts, and create a positive
having served as the UNECE Executive image of the organization. Could you tell us
Secretary since 2017. Friendly, hard-working, how you managed to do so, what your secret
result-oriented, clever – these are some of the has been?
words people use to describe her. In other words, Well, thank you for assessing that I managed
it is unsurprising that she has achieved so much to do that. There is no secret formula. You just
during her tenure. Soon she will be leaving talk to people, and try to find the root of the
UNECE, after six years, during which she has conflict, allow for open communication with
reshaped the organization, made it shine like a everyone. If you understand the conflict and
diamond. people can express themselves, then you can
find solutions, like some mediation between
On a more personal note, we would like to conflicting parties. You need to establish clear
show our gratitude and thank her, for she has rules, so that everybody understands the rules
always been very kind to us at Diva. She gave and procedures, then you ask them to follow
us her first interview in 2017 just after she had the rules and procedures. If nothing helps,
arrived, and now, before leaving after six years ask the assistance of the Mediator, or the
of faithful and hard work, she found in her busy Ombudsman.
schedule a slot to answer our questions. The
floor is yours Ms. Executive-Secretary… I reached out twice for the assistance of the
Ombudsman. Another important factor is to
You arrived in Geneva to serve as the UNECE try to break the silences and push people to
Secretary General in 2017, your first United cooperate. Cooperation many times helps to
Nations appointment. Has your attitude to avoid a conflict because if contending parties
the Organization (as a whole) evolved over need to deliver a joint result, they need to
this time? cooperate. So, this is how I proceeded, and it
Interview with I wanted to work for the United Nations 10 worked.
years before I came. I applied for different
olga algayerova positions, for I really appreciate what the What is the event (or events) that marked you
United Nations is doing for the world, in the most during your stay at the United Nations,
Executive Secretary of the UNECE sense of not only economic and environmental and during your career in the UNECE?
cooperation but also in the field, on the There were so many events of which I’m
peacekeeping and humanitarian side, on the proud, so many, some small, some big and
human rights side etc. So, when I came here some very big ones, at the global level, at the
in 2017, I came with big ideals, and I was very regional level, or even at the country level.
proud that I could work for an organization
whose values I appreciate. My view hasn’t One of which I’m particularly proud of is that
changed. Maybe, I see more details about how every second year, we have a commission
it works? Maybe I wished for a more agile, session. Historically, in the UNECE, we had
more flexible organization in some situations, never had a substantive topic for a commission
but this is what also the Secretary General session. We were always speaking about rules
sees and wants to change. It does not always and procedures that we needed to change, and
depend on us but on the member states. then we suggested to member states to change
There’s a lot of diplomacy involved, and it’s not them in order for the work to go smoother.
easy to achieve reforms or to change the world Of course, this didn’t attract the political
or to reach a consensus among member states. attention of the ministers, for instance. So, I
You need to be patient, and people who are tried from my very first commission session
outsiders to the organization may not see the to introduce a substantive topic. The first time
difficulties and criticize the UN. I stand even I finally managed to do so was in 2021, when
firmer in my appreciation of the organization. the topic was the circular economy. I’m very
proud we did so. Not many organizations
The UNECE was a conflict-torn organization are really so strongly and visibly working
when you arrived. You have managed to on that issue. For me, a circular economy is

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