KEEPING UP WITH ANN – EPISODE VIII
“Imperfect, but indispensable”
February 6, 2004

MY NEW ADDRESS:
57 Grand St. Apt. #4
New York, NY 10013
(001) 917-771-7019 cellular


“Imperfect, but indispensable.” This is how Ms. Gillian Sorensen, Assistant Secretary General, described the United Nations during our first day at the UN. As many of you know, I have started an internship at the United Nations Headquarters in the Secretariat building in New York City. It is truly a dream come true, from both a career and life perspective and it has changed so many of my perceptions about the world in general, including my place in it. Many of us feel like we have won the lottery by having the opportunity to work here within its historic walls, gaining access and very personal contact to the leaders, meetings, major conferences (that you hear the briefs on the BBC or CNN) and the intellectual discourse of ideas that are leading international relations, politics and human development today. Many mornings when I have arrived, there is a press “stakeout” near the elevators, where Secretary General Kofi Annan or other UN body representatives, are being grilled by reporters as to their thoughts about the current political crisis of the day, be it these days about Liberia, Cyprus or Iraq. I also feel greatly fortunate to be among many talented interns from all over the world – many that surely will be great future leaders! I am working in the Department of Public Information (DPI) and strangely enough, am doing tasks very similar to the beginning of my IT consulting days – system tests, user requirements, technical systems analysis. (It is amazing to know those skills from Anderson/Accenture will allow me never to starve.) Though now the context is different – where I am helping to establish working technology systems and solutions to facilitate the work of UN Radio, UN TV and UN Photo to best disseminate the message of the United Nations – and this makes all the difference. I am also hoping to work part-time in either the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) or the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) for an opportunity to learn more about current international policy issues, peace-building and humanitarian field projects in each of these areas.

There are approximately 115 interns here, from about 25 different countries. The French, Germans, Norwegians, Swedish and Americans seem to dominate this mix, though with no more than 5-6 from each of these countries. There are students from Indonesia, Poland, most of Western Europe, India, a sprinkling of Latins from Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, and Spain, Palestine, New Zealand and Australia, and even Georgia and Kyrgyzstan (nations established after the breakdown from the former Soviet Union). We are all very lucky to be here, no matter what our backgrounds. There were over 1000 applicants for these 100 or so positions, so the positions were pretty competitive. It is a requirement that all interns be matriculated graduate students. Many of the non-American students are studying in the United States, and the majority of the students are international relations and political science majors, though there are those that are studying areas as diverse as cartography, archaeology, fine arts, business and social work. Our presence as interns here is very important for both us and the UN. (Someone joked to me the first week I was here that the interns run the UN!) We are here to learn about the UN system, help in the daily workings of specific departments, attend open conferences in any area that interest us, meet the leaders within different areas, and decide and formulate our own opinions if we would one day like to work within the structure of the UN. Some of us are idealists, some realists, some still trying to figure out what our true perceptions and attitudes are.

I truly feel I am on a constant high working at the United Nations (and being in the city that is truly the center of the universe – New York City), walking through the long corridors from the General Assembly area to the Secretariat, and going from meetings to conferences to constantly being surrounded by ambassadors and diplomats, and all the Under Secretaries and heads of the many UN departments and agencies. (I recently became friends with a young diplomat from the Mission to the UN from Morocco who was passing through my department.) There is this feeling of literal access to the world’s and UN’s leaders and all the knowledge they possess. There are also numerous receptions that occur weekly where you can easily attend and begin speaking to those representing each of the 191 country missions. [Each country that is a member state of the United Nations has what is called a Mission to the United Nations composed of different individuals from their Foreign Service corps.]

There is much to be said about the UN – regarding its mission, its effectiveness, it’s role in today’s unipolar world, and what it can do regarding international governance when it is the sole, prominent world governing body. The challenges are great too. In this new world where acts of terrorism abound, even the UN is not safe as the morale guide for peace, security and the international resolution of political and social conflict. It has recently been targeted in many locations around the earth, most recently in Iraq where there was a bombing that killed and shut down the UN office in Baghdad on August 19 of last year. Special Representative to the Secretary General for Iraq Sergio Vieira da Mello – a UN rising star – was among the 17 killed that made clear the new reality of security threats for the UN, its employees, and its missions around the world. It was and is a great tragedy for the UN family. In the Secretariat, there are often many levels of Security passes present, SG Kofi Annan travels with at least two security personnel at all times, and all the windows of the Secretariat have been covered with shatter-proof window coverings. With such enemies from the outside, there is much criticism in the field and from also within. Many criticize it for its unwieldy, bureaucratic manner, its “meetings culture,” its lack of a career path for its 5,000 employees, and especially for the United State’s control over much of its agenda (despite the UN’s lack of support of the US-led invasion of Iraq). With the arrival of Secretary General Kofi Annan at the beginning of 1997, many new reforms are in the works. Most controversially is talk of a reformation of the Security Council, of which is represented by the victors of World War II. This has been largely pushed by Japan who wants its share of the power and who pays approximately 19% of the UN’s budget. (The U.S. who wields incredible power and often changes agenda at the beginning of any meeting it wants to upon arrival, pays 24% of the UN’s budget.) Other changes include human resources mobility initiatives, where all employees must move to different departments every five years, movement and promotion of general staff to professional staff, and a complete renovation of the physical UN complex. (As for a bit of random trivia - I recently learned the UN grounds were formerly the location of slaughterhouses.)

But we must never forget what the UN does to ameliorate poverty, care for over 20 million refugees a year, reduce hunger, improve woman’s equality, lessen child and maternal mortality rates and even improve the “digital divide” between – in political science terms – north and south countries by encouraging newly released science and technology initiatives for the developing world. The UN is the world’s most important governmental body that organizes and coordinates the funding and humanitarian relief of the world’s most vulnerable and poor, negotiates peace accords and treaties like the Kyoto Treaty that deals with global warming, assisted colonies become free and independent states through the work of its Trusteeship Council (though now largely a dormant body), sends UN Peacekeepers into areas after conflicts have ended to “protect the peace,” and very importantly, monitors elections and assists the fragile and new democracies around the world. For many countries in the world, countries must be shown what the concept of a democracy is – from having free and fair elections to simply having leaders understand that they must leave office after they have lost the election. To some, this is not obvious. The UN seeks to be relevant, pertinent and results-oriented. All such work is so important and endless. That is where the phrase “imperfect, but indispensable” comes.

As always, I offer my Highlights after an incredibly exciting month working at the United Nations:
An exhibit reception for “Building a Culture of Peace for the Children of the World,” hosted by Patrick Duffy and Herbie Hancock, among many famous jazz musicians in the General Assembly lobby. The reception started at 5PM and continued for much of the night. All the interns present were dazzled by the music of these musicians, who ended with a 10-minute rendition of “Somewhere over the Rainbow” and in the end, we had the opportunity to get our pictures taken with these stars. [See my personal picture below with Bobby Ewing of Dallas aka The Man from Atlantis.]
Last week, there was a major 2-day donor conference where nations of the world were invited to give to help in the reconstruction of Liberia, who has been ravaged by civil war for the last 14 years and who is in dire need of assistance to feed its people, rebuild its infrastructure, and especially retrain it thousands of rebel military forces and child soldiers that had taken over the country. After the two-day conference where Kofi Annan presided, Colin Powell (who arrived late with a NYPD escort) represented the United States, UNDP/UNDG head Mark Malloch Brown chaired and Liberia’s interim president Gyude Bryant received a standing ovation after he spoke, member countries of the UN gave over the goal of $500 million dollars. The UN felt abuzz.
Talking with my friend and mentor, Jean Marc Coicaud, who is the Acting Head of the United Nations University who has vast knowledge about the UN, international organizations, and philosophy and has taken the time to share both his wide network of colleagues and knowledge with me. Through several meetings, we have spoken about his many ideas (and invariably criticisms) about the UN, its work and mission, and also his philosophies on life, love and his dream of opening a bed & breakfast on the beach in Thailand.
Attending a reception given by the World Bank for the Africa Region during the major conference happening on the reconstruction of Liberia in the Millennium Hotel. A German-intern friend of mine, Rixa from Hamburg who is in Department of Political Affairs, called me up and said, “They’re not checking IDs at the reception.” I sauntered over for what seems like my reception subsistence diet of appetizers and an open bar – that night though I only drank Cokes.
A Thursday night UN intern ritual of going to FUBAR, a dive bar on 50th and 3rd in Midtown Manhattan. The drinks during happy hour are 4 for $12, which is a literal steal. We get there at approximately 6PM after work, have popcorn dinners, and often stay until 2 or 3 in the morning chatting with fellow interns and New Yorkers, alike. I love the intense conversations I’ve had there, especially with my friend Scott from New Zealand, who is a lawyer working for the Office of Legal Affairs. We constantly debate the idea of sacrificing your life for the good of the many, the sacrifice of family, and the theory of “drawing a circle of five” – where if we were to each take care of five people around us, wouldn’t this be a better world free of hunger and social disconnects and deprivations?
And as I mentioned in a previous KUWA, the price of living and breathing in New York City – Manhattan specifically - is constantly on the increase. I feel it is significantly more expensive to live here than last year. The MTA weekly subway card rose from $17 to $21, the base charge increase for a taxi is being voted on, and the first meal I had with old friends from college totalled over $65 per person for a reasonably casual meal (though we did have foie gras appetizers). In an awesome bar/restaurant in the Meat Packing District named Son Cubano, we paid $26 for a pitcher of weak sangria and $12 for margaritas (though had the best dancing night ever). The topper was that I recently went out for drinks with Jean Marc at the bar inside the St. Regis Hotel and was charged $16 for a vanilla martini, his orange juice was $7.50, not including the $4 tip that was left! (Yes, yes I know – it was a hotel bar.)
Enjoying Sunday nights with my new roommate Rehana and my intern friends, watching the last few episodes of Sex and The City and Curb Your Enthusiasm. SATC, as many of you know, is one of my favourite shows, is based in New York City and is ending soon. We’ve eaten Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, Godiva chocolates and drank beer as we’ve watched Sarah Jessica Parker fall in love with Mikhail Baryshnikov. In a strange moment of being recognized as a SME (subject matter expert) about SATC, I was approached by some real Norwegian journalists (one of which is an intern in my department) who invited me on the SATC Tour in New York through a special press pass and also want to take pictures of one of these last nights when we watch the show! Life truly is funny.
The weekends strolling around my neighbourhood – I live in Soho in a great loft apartment arranged through my friend Teal (of whom always takes care of me in New York City – gracias, Mercedes) and her friend Monica, who is one of my roommates. I have also been enjoying shopping strolls and brunches in the area. One of my friends and fellow interns, Amelie from Paris, is friends with one of New York City’s great chefs Bruce Bromberg – owner of the five Blue Ribbon restaurants. When she was 12 years old, Bruce was a cooking student in Paris, living with her family and was her nanny on Fridays. Last Sunday we were invited to brunch on delicious eggs Benedict hash, French toast, a massive fruit plate and an incredible array of bread offerings at his restaurant the Blue Ribbon Bakery in the West Village. A long-standing New York connection made across the Atlantic!

I LOVE WORKING IN THE UN and am impressed everyday to what the challenges are to the UN’s mission and realize its great importance in the international structure and relations between countries – and I am a part of that in some way. I LOVE BEING IN NEW YORK CITY, where working in midtown makes me impressed by the masses of humanity heading down 42nd, where I even love making my way through rush-hour traffic in Grand Central Station at 9AM and know it is a city where its habitants are the most aggressive and accomplished people in the world choose to be.

I wish you all peace and happiness, and please know I am always thinking of you all. Please send me a note with how you’re doing. Thanks for reading.

Love,
Ann-Marie