From the elevated aims set out by its founding Charter 70 years ago, to the life-saving work it undertakes today in peace and security, development and human rights, the United Nations is real and critical to the day-to-day lives of many people around the world.
I consider it a privilege to have been associated with the United Nations during a large part of my life. I also consider it a learning and rewarding experience to have been in a position of working together with persons, often close colleagues, coming from different ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds.
De kracht van de VN ligt bij alle mensen die bij de organisatie betrokken zijn. Dat zijn de mensen die voor UNICEF geld inzamelen in Nederland, de vrijwilligers die met onze projecten samenwerken, de technici en experts, de ambtenaren en administrateurs en uiteindelijk de leiders zoals de Secretaris Generaal. Het Charter begint niet voor niets met “We, the Peoples of the United Nations …”
The main emphasis of my activities within the UN was on human rights. With hindsight, the past 35 years have seen great advances of the UN in this field. An impressive normative framework has been created; supervisory procedures have been developed. I was privileged to be involved in this development in various capacities: as a government delegate, as an expert within the UN Sub-Commission on the Protection of Minorities and the Prevention of Discrimination and later within the UN Commission on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and the Human Rights Committee, and as a representative of non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
My hope is that governments, and in particular the so-called domestic ministries, will open their eyes and recognize that the future of their countries not only depends on how they deal domestically with education, public health, environment, science, crime, etc., but at least as much on how other countries deal with these issues. If they recognize that, the importance of strengthening the UN system will be self-evident.
Voor mij is er geen alternatief voor de Verenigde Naties ook al zijn er vele discussies gaande. Helaas is de laatste jaren de noodzaak van het werk van de Verenigde Naties meer en meer gebleken gezien de verschillende brand haarden in de wereld.
I never seriously regretted my career within the ranks of the UN. Luck has been with me, in the sense that I was offered an initial post and then was assisted time and again by fate and friendly colleagues to proceed. A tolerant stomach was helpful too. Brussels sprouts were rarely on the menu.
The UNV (United Nations Volunteers) encourages communities to empower themselves through volunteerism. By mobilizing National and International Volunteers from all corners of the world, the organization works to make a difference in the everyday life of citizens in struggling nations.
The power of the UN lies in its humanitarian assignment. Its threefold mission of peace, development and human rights appeals to the nobler principles of mankind. Universality is part of it, in that all countries and political systems are participating on a constructive basis. That constructive cooperation is the essence of progress!
The most important reason that lead me to apply and accept this honourable and voluntary position for the year 2013, was to make a strong case for women entrepreneurs. The Netherlands is an important trading country, but there is still much untapped potential in terms of the contribution that women entrepreneurs could make to the world’s current economic and social challenges.