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Bridging the Atlantic through debate 3 Lomborg, climate contrarian or green hero? 5 Agency Special: UNHCR 10

Drawing: Doriane Poulet

Disclaimer: This publication is created by interns from UN agencies in Brussels. The views and opinions presented in this publication are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations.

ÂŤ Opinions

and interests of a total of 20 interns from 11 different countries

Internal Voices No 3/ May 2008

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If you have any suggestions, comments or would like to contribute to the magazine please contact us at internalvoices@unric.org.

Editorial « Even Condi started out as an intern ». Those were the words of Terry Ann Paolo when we interviewed her after the intern conference at the US Mission to the EU. In many ways an intern is in a rather special phase of life. Most of us have finished our studies, but we are not yet at a stage where we can lean back and see where life takes us. An internship is supposed to help us define what field of work we are interested in, and as young graduates today we are more or less obliged to start off by doing an internship- at least if the goal is to find a job in an international environment. This short term professional experience thus turns into some sort of ritual you have to go through before entering the labour market, armed only with your CV. Anthropologists call such an experience a rite of passage: the period of time when you are situated betwixt and between the two definitions- student and employee. British anthropologist Mary Douglas has even argued that such a social transition is perceived of as dangerous, since the social status is temporarily undefined and vague. Fortunately, an internship is also an intense learning experience where you get to know yourself and your abilities. Should a slight anxiety pass through your mind when considering future work prospects, it can perhaps be of some help to know that you are in good company: even US Secretaries of State must have broken out in a cold sweat over a job application at some point.

How it all started...

Last August a couple of UNRIC interns came up with the idea of creating an intern magazine. Two issues later we expanded on the idea by contacting interns outside of UNRIC. The magazine you are reading now is the result of the collaboration between interns from 8 different UN agencies. No one has really asked us to create this magazine, and most of the work was undertaken in the spare time of each contributor, as well as during long hours at the office. Having articles pour into my inbox, as well as seeing the tireless effort of the lay-out team thus became all the more impressive, not to say touching. I would like to extend my thanks to all the interns who contributed with their skills and gave their time to finalize this magazine.

I, for one, will definitely look back at this experience with great joy.

Thank you! We hope that this edition will be the first in a long series of Internal Voices publications.

Editorial

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Bridging the Atlantic

3

Food crisis in the EU

4

Climate and media

5

EU migration Policy

6

Birth registration

7

Regulars: UN Brussels campaigns

8

Agency Special: UNHCR 9-10 Portrait: Thomas Stelzer

11

Country Special: Nigeria

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Leisure: Interns on internships

13

Working in Brussels

14

Brussels and Starbucks

15

Artist Special: Klaas Ornelis

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Contributors: This magazine features the opinions and interests of a total of 20 interns from 11 different countries, ranging from Colombia to Sweden.

In terms of an international collaboration (if I dare use these words), our project doesn’t represent anything new. Undertaking an internship is nothing out of the ordinary either, at least not in Brussels where there seem to be thousands of us – anyway, that’s the impression you get if you go out on Place Lux any day of the week. But what is new here is perhaps the combination of the two factors, adding up to a magazine that we hope could work as a forum for different thoughts and interests, reflecting to some extent our cultural baggage. Read this magazine in your free time, while procrastinating during work hours, read to learn something, read to pass time, read to know what’s going on in Brussels, read to know what’s going on in Nigeria, or get the latest thoughts on soaring food prices. Or simply read. I’ll let you get on with it. Enjoy!

Mariann Klingberg Norway Intern at UNRIC

Doriane Poulet, Edward Gregory-Jones, Brigitte Witzel, Agnès Tillinac, Stéphanie Roussarie, Dina Knudsen, Julia Nekipelov, Alexander Degelsegger, Deborah Weinberg, Klaas Ornelis, Carolina Figueroa, Despina Tsikoudis, Vânia Rodrigues, Jorun Arndt, Céline Croon, Sidsel Washuus, Lieselotte Callebaut, Mariann Ingrid Klingberg, Effie Elefferiadou, Jakob Rindegren.

Internal Voices No 3/ May 2008

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Bridging the Atlantic - A US-EU Conference On 2 April 2008, the United States Mission to the European Union organized a conference called ‘Bridging the Atlantic: Common Ground on Common Issues’.

The conference fits within the framework of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s policy, which emphasises stronger collaboration with EU member states, as well as with the European Union. The conference was intended for and attended by 37 interns of different nationalities, most currently enrolled as interns in EU institutions.

Following a welcome coffee provided by the friendly interns at the US Mission to the EU and the US Embassy to Belgium, the morning was opened by C. Boyden Gray, US Special Envoy to the EU, who explained that Brussels is increasingly gaining importance. Gray described how only 10 years ago the US representation to the EU dealt mainly with economic issues and that there is a lot more at stake nowadays, pointing out among other initiatives state-building efforts (e.g. Kosovo and Afghanistan), energy policies and common counterterrorism measures. “The Mission is formally the same, but it is bigger and busier,” he said.

« Interns are the future » Regarding EU foreign policy as a whole, Gray said it was a relatively new area that began to be actively employed during the wars in the Balkans. The Special Envoy further explained that due to its legal and constitutional structure, the US is required to deal with EU member states on a bilateral level on certain issues, and not only with the EU institutions. Nevertheless, said the US diplomat, a common communication strategy does exist and is something we try to pursue, especially during summits. For

example, he said, we see Kosovo as a concerted US/EU effort. However, he noted that the extent of US-EU collaboration and our desire to work together has not yet filtered to the general public, which has to do both with the worries and concerns of some EU member states as well as a certain mistrust of the present US administration.

The morning then continued with the works of three separate roundtables, each led by officials of the Mission. The discussions were intended to stimulate an open debate on ongoing common issues. The themes for the different roundtable discussions were Climate Change and Energy; Foreign Policy in the Middle East: US and EU joint efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan; and finally Anti-Terrorism and Justice.

The positive outcome of the morning’s talks was mainly due to the efforts of Terry Ann Paulo, an intern at the US Mission. We asked her what in her opinion was the point of organizing such an event, to which she replied that “its aim was to channel EU and US interns’ flow of ideas, as well as helping to describe and understand current US policies”.

This conference is not the first of its kind – the Mission has organized three other substantive briefings for EU interns over the last two years. Another intern event organized in Geneva by US interns in 2006 gathered some 300 people for a reception in the US Mission there. Ambassador Kevin E. Moley, permanent representative in Geneva at the time, was impressed by how efficient the event was in reaching a large diversity of people. Not only overwhelmed by the outreach potential of the happening, the diplomat added that it was simply one of the best parties he had ever attended!* The morning conference in the US Mission was perhaps slightly less festive, nevertheless the aim of both events was the same: to bring together the next generation of potential diplomats.

“Interns are the future”, Terry explained when answering why the Mission was directing parts of its efforts to reaching

Internal Voices No 3/ May 2008

Photo: Mariann Klingberg

young people interested in international issues. “Even ‘Condi’ started as an intern” she added optimistically.

Embassies and representations in general follow their own government’s policy and Terry explained that “there is no clash between an intern’s personal political view and that of his superiors.

Interns are given projects which they must see to and are in no position to take stands”. Just the sort of diplomatic answer we were expecting.

The morning ended with a snack lunch offered by the US Mission, in full Brussels-networking style. Lots of phone numbers, emails, “thank-yous”, “goodto-have-you-heres” and promises of further, more informal encounters were exchanged! *Source: State Magazine 2006

Edward Gregory Jones Italy Intern at UNRIC (Spanish desk)

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Framing the ‘food crisis’ in the European Union - a reflection In January 2007, 70,000 people took to the streets in Mexico City in the ‘tortilla riot’, protesting against the rising price of tortillas. Since then, food protests have cropped up all over the world - in Cameroon and Senegal unions and taxi drivers have recently been rioting alongside hungry crowds, calling on their governments to act on the rising cost of fuel and food. In Haiti, prices have risen so much that cookies for some of the country’s poorest now are the only regular source of food - cookies made of salt, vegetable shortening and dried yellow dirt.

Starting my internship at FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization) in February, I was immediately placed in the middle of the debate on hunger, rising in the wake of the soaring food prices.

The growing global population is demanding more food – and the appetite of economically fast-growing nations causes a surge in demand for meat and dairy products, thereby requiring more grain as feedstock. Rising oil and energy prices have created the effect of substituting into bio fuels, thus diverting land from the food chain and setting food prices against fuel prices, creating competition between hungry cars and hungry people. The impact of climate change is also intensifying, causing droughts and floods that affect the harvests. According to FAO these factors are some of the main reasons why food prices have soared, threatening to add an additional million to the world’s already 800 million hungry people.

In March, I had the opportunity to hear the World Food Programme’s Executive Director, Ms. Josette Sheeran, address the issue in the European Parliament.

Ms. Sheeran successfully brought the urgency of the situation straight to the hearts of the parliamentarians whose stomachs were starting to crave their daily lunch. The same was true for me, and I learned that starvation is almost a politically non-controversial issue, as none of us can bear the thought of starv-

Drawing: Doriane Poulet

ing children. Two days before the speech The European Commission launched a 160 million Euro fund to help alleviate world hunger.

The problem, however, is that food aid cannot defeat hunger. Actions undertaken in the developing world must distinguish between immediate crisis response and longer-term interventions aimed at helping farmers grow food locally. However, the political message of investing in agriculture is less poignant than the need for food aid, and mobilizing the pressure needed to act seems to be most easily created by framing the crisis in the name of starvation. Yet the danger is that, besides under-prioritizing long-term investment in agriculture, focus is diverted away from addressing the structural causes of the problem such as consumption, climate change and bio fuels – issues posing more controversial political choices to the EU than mobilizing food aid.

On such issues, FAO and other UN partners with regards to the European

Internal Voices No 3/ May 2008

Commission can take only advisory roles. These advice weigh against the industry lobby, which controls a number of the Commission’s Expert Groups on issues such as ‘biotechnology’, ‘clean coal’ and ‘car emissions’, according to a recent report by the EU-transparency network ALTER-EU. Within its own system of consultation, it therefore seems unlikely to me that the Commission can launch sufficient initiatives needed to address these politically loaded questions.

But if a serious number of European citizens join the voices from the South, complementing them by insisting that the European political institutions address the policies and issues that hinder the implementation of the human right to food in the developing world – that might shake-up the EU.

Sidsel Washuus Denmark Intern FAO

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A change of climate in the news media Bjørn Lomborg fathered the Copenhagen Consensus – an annual conference gathering more than 55 international economists, including 5 Nobel Laureates, to assess solutions for the world’s biggest challenges and prioritize them according to their cost-efficiency.

Among other global challenges the 2008 Copenhagen Consensus will address air pollution, global warming, malnutrition and hunger, diseases, and water and sanitation. Previous Copenhagen Consensus assemblies have placed global warming on the bottom of the prioritized list to much dismay of most environmentalists.

Martin Luther of the environmental movement, climate contrarian, sceptical environmentalist, green hero, Copenhagen con, saviour of the planet.

the world’s 100 most influential people and his appointment as director of the Danish Environmental Assessment Institute, acting in an advisory capacity to the Danish government, proves that he is

Bjørn Lomborg has been labeled many things. Despite their contradictions Mr. Lomborg has rightfully deserved many of them. He made himself popular with world leaders hesitant to sign international climate agreements when he, in front of the American congress, advised them to drop agreements like the Kyotoprotocol. On the other hand, environmentalists have scorned him for acting as a puppet to industrial society and downplaying the impact of climate change. Furthermore, a number of researchers have filed a complaint for scientific dishonesty against Mr. Lomborg rejecting his conclusions as false and biased. However, the allegations were overturned by the academy investigating his case.

Lomborg has become quite a media darling. As his input on a topic so high on the current agenda causes conflict and a sense of sensation he fulfills the selection criteria of every news media journalist. This is especially noteworthy in a debate otherwise marked by almost identical statements made by researchers wanting to capitalize on the negative consequences of climate change. With his nerve and his toothpaste smile, the news cameras love Mr. Lomborg.

The fact that his contribution to the debate draws daggers from his opponents, makes him even more popular with the press. And media coverage and exposure has proved to be key to anyone’s capability to act convincingly. In 2004, Time Magazine put him on the list of

The basic terms of a competitive news media system with constant deadlines are to report on cases standing out since the last deadline. So for a story to make the news and differ from the ones of the competitors, it needs to be astounding, catchy, and simple - even when the popular climate discussion desperately needs a holistic and informed perspective. Sadly, Lomborg’s media-friendly list of priorities only encourages the media to ignore the complexity and interrelations of the world’s problems. His message is so easily simplified that news journalists, by not deducing from his conclusions a disregard for global warming and climate change, could be considered incompetent.

If the temperature of the globe is turning feverish, it would be suitable to charac-

« If the temperature of the world is turning feverish, the effort of its inhabitants could be categorized as delirious »

Cars caught in a tailback near Jardin Botanique. Through the haze of their exhaustion you can vaguely see the Basilica of Koekelberg.

Photo: Lars Olesen

taken seriously.

The aim of this article is not to decide which of the introductory descriptions is more suitable when presenting Mr. Lomborg. Had I all the answers in the climate change debate, I would not be an intern at UNRIC writing this text.

Nevertheless, it sadly seems that both Lomborg’s popularity and notoriety are based on the media’s interpretations of his conclusions, which often seem, if not incorrect, then at least lacking nuance.

An exhaustive coverage of the consequences of climate change has largely been absent in the Western news media.

Internal Voices No 3/ May 2008

terize the effort of its inhabitants to cure the illness as delirious. Groups, organizations, scientists and politicians all seem to blindly grope for the ideal solution to the different problems of the world, focusing on one problem at a time. At least Lomborg is trying to put the current global challenges into a larger perspective. Whether you agree with his priorities and like the way he plays the media is another matter, but let us bring all opinions to the table as it cannot but strengthen our own argument.

Dina Knudsen Denmark Intern at UNRIC (Nordic desk)

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Portraying EU migration policy The effects of EU migration policy in the case of Nafi, a Senegalese intern in Brussels.

EU for the purpose of studying is a key factor in that strategy and fits perfectly within the Migration and Development logic.

Since 1999 and the Tampere Summit, the European Union has decided to put the migration issue high up on the agenda and has tried to develop a common policy on the issue. However the process is not easy and the EU objectives can sometimes be hard to accommodate: for instance, how can the EU be turned into an attractive magnet for migrants, while observing the ”preference communautaire” in the economic sphere and how can highly skilled migrants be attracted without contributing to brain drain?

The ”preference communautaire” question On the other hand, still within the framework of Migration and Development, Nafi will be encouraged to go back to Senegal once her training is completed, in order to limit the brain drain impact and to enhance the local capacities for sustainable development in her country.

Prompting third country nationals to return to their country of origin is in line

While the ”Migration and Develop-

« How can highly skilled migrants be attracted to EU without contributing to brain drain? » ment” and ”Circular Migration” concepts seem to have recently created necessary consensus, many issues are still pending. Through the case of an African intern, here is an outline of some recent developments in the EU field of migration.

The EU as a worldwide center of excellence Nafi is Senegalese and managed to come to a EU member state to study for a Masters in international law. She had to be accepted by a European university in advance, justify sufficient resources for her stay and demonstrate a good knowledge of the host country’s language. Thus, the embassy issued her a oneyear visa, for the duration of her curriculum. To graduate, Nafi then had to undertake six-months unremunerated training in a Belgian NGO and for this she managed to get a second visa matching the exact duration of her contract.

The visa facilitations granted to students, also available for researchers, lie within the framework of the communitarian objectives to promote the EU as a world centre of excellence. Promoting mobility of third country nationals to the

As doctors are in high demand in many European countries these highly educated professionals are at the core of the migration discussion. Especially Africa is in dire need of this ”human capital”.

Photo: Mike Blyth, Wikimedia Commons

with the preference communautaire logic establishing a limitation on their admission to the EU territory for employment. Thus, Nafi will not, in principle, be permitted to extend her stay for the purpose of seeking employment and she will have to go back to Senegal in order not to become “illegal” by having “overstayed” on EU territory. Once back in Senegal, what possibilities remain to Nafi if she wants to work in an EU country?

The European Blue card Thanks to the new proposal adopted by the European Commission on the creation of a European Blue card, following

Internal Voices No 3/ May 2008

The visa facilitations granted to students and researchers are part of the EU objective to promote the EU as a world center of excellence. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

the pattern of the US Green card, it may be possible for Nafi to come back one day. The Blue card aims at attracting and retaining highly qualified migrants needed for the EU economy, increasing the competitiveness of the EU in the framework of the Lisbon strategy. By facilitating their admission, implementing fast-track procedures, creating positive conditions for the workers and their families, the EU will try to compete with the US. Although the Blue card remains at a planning stage, it already creates a dilemma: with such a system, how can a massive brain drain be avoided? Even if the proposal mentions “ethical recruitment standards” and tends to promote circular migrations schemes (i.e. arrangements which make it easier for migrants or former migrants to circulate, or travel back and forth, between the country of origin and the country of residence), some European Parliamentarians have expressed their skepticism.

Will it be possible to realize the EU vision of competitiveness and at the same promote development through reversed brain drain? The question as to whether the goals are combinable remains unanswered.

Agnès Tillinac France Intern at IOM

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Birth Registration and the Rights of the Child Based on a conference at the European Parliament Committee on Development, 27-02-08 “Birth registration is a fundamental human right and has strong implications for the enjoyment of many other human rights” Marta Santos Pais, UNICEF

violated more frequently.

In some countries the percentage of birth registration is dramatically low, e.g. only 4.2 % of children in Uganda (2000) and 9.8 % in Bangladesh (2006) are registered. Currently within the EU, 2 % of children are unregistered; while worldwide in 2006 this was the case for about 51 million children.

To inhabitants of developed countries,

« Birth registration is a fundamental human right »

In order to raise the number of children being registered Pais outlines the following recommendations: (1) support awareness raising and gain commitment of all stakeholders; (2) promote legislative reform; (3) promote birth registration as a core development issue; (4) support the provision of basic materials for registration: pens and paper, roadmap to centre, etc.; (5) support training for registrars; (6) promote mainstreaming of birth registration with other programmes, e.g. during immunization or school entry; and (7) make it universally available, with special attention to remote and hard to reach areas.

birth registration sounds rather like an administrative detail, but in fact it is fundamental to human welfare, and furthermore to human identity. Birth registration, in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, offers rights to protection from violence and abuse and is a necessity in order to be able to vote, to have a recognized name, a family history and a nationality. Further it is needed to be able to open a bank account and to receive a marriage license, social security, family allowances, a pension and the right of inheritance.

The lack of a birth certificate, meaning no proof of age and identity, means unregistered children often lack access to health and education and are vulnerable to abuse, child labour, prostitution, child trafficking, early marriage and enrolment into the army. This is especially a concern in the least developed countries, often war affected and heavily indebted, where children’s rights are

that when children are not registered they are ignored by statistics and planners and are thereby invisible when policy decisions or budgetary choices are made. In general, Pais says, unregistered children can be characterized as living in poor families, in rural and remote areas, belonging to ethnic minority or indigenous groups, born to single mothers, children in war-affected countries, or being children born in countries heavily affected by AIDS.

Photo: Everystockphoto.com

According to UNICEF, the costs and the distance to the registration centre are the reasons most frequently cited by parents for not registering their children. Marta Santos Pais, Director of the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, points out

Internal Voices No 3/ May 2008

Though much remains to be done, some positive developments that can be mentioned are that Cambodia, Gambia and Vietnam, show significant progress in their registration levels.

Klaas Ornelis Belgium Intern at UNRIC (Benelux desk)

CAMPAIGNS

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Human rights- a small miracle 63 years ago, a group composed of delegations from the four corners of the world met with one focus: to prevent the repetition of World War II’s horrors in the future, through the creation of a Charter protecting human dignity. The leitmotiv of the commission appointed by the newly created United Nations was “never again”.

For two years, people as different as a Chinese Confucian philosopher, the widow of the former president of the United States, and a communist delegate had to work and live together in order to produce a common document on the fundamental rights of human beings.

tive], a Jew who had lost twenty-nine relatives in the Holocaust and who was a supporter of the creation of a Jewish state, and Malik, a spokesperson for the Arab League, these strong personalities managed to work together toward the drafting of the declaration”.

What the Human Rights Commission achieved was indeed an impossible task, and its unanimous vote, unexpected even by the Commission, can be seen as a small miracle. Deeply committed to their mission, the commissioners responded to their mandate by overcoming the myriad of differences that set them apart.

For the first time in history, the international community embraced a document considered to be presenting universal values. Would this have been possible in a context other than the post-war environment? Maybe not, and the Declaration is even more interesting because of that.

As Micheline R. Ishay writes in her book “History of Human Rights”: “Despite constant philosophical rivalries between Malik [the Lebanese representative] and Chang [the Chinese delegate], coupled with political tension between Cassin [the French representa-

60 years later, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights remains extremely relevant and modern. However, the stories about the drafting committee are often unknown. The Declaration is more a basis and a source for complementary binding treaties than an end in itself. A balance is always desirable between two

Drawing: Doriane Poulet

extreme stances: considering the document as sacrosanct or rejecting it because of its limitations.

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) has launched a yearlong campaign to raise awareness and spread information on human rights, KnowYourRights2008, through the campaign website:

Source: M. R. ISHAY, The history of human rights, 2004 , University of California Press.

Céline Croon Belgium Intern at UNRIC (Director's desk)

Greening the United Nations in Brussels The fight against climate change is one of the top priorities of the UN Secretary General (SG) Ban Ki-moon.

To lead by example Mr. Ban has set the UN’s carbon neutrality and sustainability as an important objective.

In July 2007, he therefore asked all heads of agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations to support his initiative to carry the UN towards a carbon neutral future.

Sustainable United Nations (SUN) is a UNEP initiative, administered by the Sustainable Consumption and Production Branch, which aims to support the UN and other organisations to achieve climate neutrality. In this framework and following its own commitments, UNEP Brussels has been encouraging and implementing green behaviour

among its staff members.

What does it mean to be a green manner? In general, it is about being conscious of the impact of our daily activities on the environment and how we can reduce it. It means to think about the waste we produce, the food we eat, the transport we take, the soap we use, the time we spend in the shower, etc. For UNEP Brussels it concerns particularly waste management and reducing the consumption of electricity and paper.

In line with this, not only UNEP Brussels but all the agencies located at UN House in Brussels, are currently aiming at obtaining the Label ‘Ecodynamic business’ by ‘Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion de l’Environnement’. The label certifies good environmental administraInternal Voices No 3/ May 2008

tion and is a long-term process and UN house has already taken the first official steps to obtain the label.

The UN has 70,000 employees (not counting interns!), imagine how significant the impact of changing their behaviour towards green actions could be.

Small changes in our daily habits can collectively have a huge and positive effect on the environment.

Check out UNEP’s Sustainable Consumption and Production Network

Carolina Figueroa Colombia Intern at UNEP

AGENCY SPECIAL PAGE 9

Focus on UNHCR UNHCR in the world The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect refugees and to resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another state, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country.

UNHCR Brussels: regional representation to European institutions and Benelux The Representation is structured around four units: Donor Relations and Resources Mobilization, Protection, European Affairs and Public Information. Supervision is ensured by the Representative who is assisted by a secretary.

The Donor Relations and Resources Mobilization Unit (DRRM) DRRM deals only with contributions from governments and intergovernmental bodies such as the European Commission. Its main role is to assure adequate funding of the UNHCR’s activities globally. Unlike many other UN agencies, which are largely financed by assessed contributions, UNHCR depends almost entirely on voluntary contributions, with 80 per cent contributed by 10 countries. Although UNHCR's Executive Committee approves the budget, this is not linked to an obligation to fund the budget.

The Protection Unit The Protection unit is responsible for the Benelux countries. The main objectives are to ensure that persons seeking international protection in these countries will have access to the territory, to fair and efficient asylum procedures and be treated in accordance with international standards.

To this end, the Protection Unit follows legislative developments, monitors asylum practice, visits reception and deten-

Children in camp, (Afghan refugees / New Shamshatoo camp / School tents / April 2001) © UNHCR / Photographer: L. Boscardi. Pakistan.

tion centers, observes refugee determination procedures, organizes participatory assessment with refugees, training for lawyers, NGOs and decision makers and, when necessary, intervenes in individual cases. Promotion and facilitation of refugee family reunion and advocacy for refugee resettlement are also important activities. Relations are maintained with a wide variety of actors in the Benelux countries, at governmental and non-governmental level.

The interns at the Protection Unit are involved in these tasks, carrying out research on country of origin information and dealing with legal issues. In this framework the intern is in contact with NGOs, state representatives and other civil society actors. The Protection unit comprises three officers, one administrative assistant and two interns.

The European Affairs Unit The European Affairs Unit is responsible for following the developments of European Union policy and legislation in the areas of concern to UNHCR. Its main task is to ensure that European Union legislation and policies in the fields of asylum, immigration, border control and related areas reflect international legal standards of refugee protec-

Internal Voices No 3/ May 2008

tion. The Officers formulate UNHCR’s assessments on different instruments adopted by the European Commission.

They also produce reports and evaluations on these instruments and keep UNHCR colleagues throughout the world informed about EU developments of note in the asylum policy field... this is a huge task and that’s the reason why an intern is absolutely essential!

The intern is responsible for the research and the collection of information pertaining to asylum from a variety of sources. Tasks also include the support to advocacy officers in drafting documents and attending meetings of the European Parliament, NGO platforms, press conferences and briefings.

PAGE 10

The Public Information Unit The purpose of the Public Information Unit is to promote a better understanding of UNHCR’s aims and activities.

The unit establishes and maintains close working relations with the Benelux and EU media to keep them regularly informed on UNHCR issues and activities nationally and internationally in order to ensure appropriate media coverage. The unit also organises and gives press briefings and conferences as necessary, and acts as spokesperson of the Office. It needs to initiate and write press stories, press releases, information bulletins and other publications of all kinds. As an intern, this gives you the possibility to get familiar with all different aspects and units within UNHCR. The Public Information Unit also has the task of raising awareness of the situations refugees are confronted with. This involves planning and conducting campaigns, exhibits and other public awareness activities in support of the Office’s work. In April 2008, a poster campaign was launched to raise awareness about the fact that fleeing is the only option for refugees. This year, as always on the 20th of June, the celebration of World Refugee Day will take place worldwide

to put refugees and UNHCR under the spotlight. Creating a new toolkit and organising activities around World Refugee Day are examples of the way the Public Information Unit in Brussels tries to explain to people what it means to be a refugee and to help them understand the work of UNHCR. Public awareness plays an integral role in the Private Sector Fund Raising section of the Public Information Unit.

Without a strong image, and without visibility and awareness, raising funds from any sources for UNHCR programs are much harder.

UNHCR’s Public Information Unit believes that it is important to create awareness of refugees’ lives. By describing refugees’ stories, the human faces behind the numbers of displaced people become visible. This makes it possible for other people to understand the ordeals refugees have been through.

As an intern, it has been an intense experience to listen to testimonies of refugees. Telling their stories to all kinds of people is a way to create a more positive atmosphere and understanding of refugee issues.

Liselotte Callebaut Belgium Intern at UNHCR Public Information Unit

Julia Nekipelov France Intern at UNHCR European Affairs Unit

On April 10th, 2008, the UNHCR launched a bilingual poster campaign in Belgium, aimed at raising awareness about refugees and highlighting their need for protection. For two weeks, over 2,000 French and Dutch-language posters were displayed in public places in Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia.

There is widespread public confusion about the difference between refugees and migrants; refugees, who have crossed borders to escape conflict and persecution, are now frequently regarded with suspicion. ,

Acrobat Document

The posters stress the dangers that refugees are escaping from, differentiating them from people arriving in places like Refugee poster campaign in Belgium Belgium in seek of work. sal Declaration of Human Rights, this Refugees flee because their life and right to seek and to enjoy asylum from freedom is at risk and they have a right persecution is as relevant as ever. to find protection elsewhere. This year, with the 60th anniversary of the Univer-

Internal Voices No 3/ May 2008

Deborah Weinberg Belgium Intern at UNHCR Protection Unit

PORTRAIT PAGE 11

From Vienna to New York the new and broader challenges.

In addition, there is definitely an increased need for dialogue and thinking in networks.

ÂŤ Nowadays, most global issues are cross-cutting, e.g. climate change. Âť For newcomers to the UN world and the wider public, the number of forums and meetings taking place often seems unmanageable. How can we avoid inefficiency while providing for the necessary space of encounter and dialogue?

UN Assistant Secretary General Thomas Stelzer and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Photo with permission from Mr. Stelzer.

Recently appointed UN Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, Thomas Stelzer holds a profound conviction that we have to contribute to the work of the UN to make it better. We asked him about the UN system, current UN issues as well as for advice to hopeful interns.

In your new position you will, among other things, manage the so called UN Chief Executive Board (CEB), where the Secretary-General coordinates the work of all the specialized agencies within the UN system. How would you describe the Board's and your activities?

Twice a year, in the framework of the CEB, the UN Secretary General meets with the Heads of all the UN Family Organizations (Funds and Programmes, Specialized Agencies, "other related organizations", Bretton Woods Institutions and one representative of each of the five Regional Commissions) for the purpose of UN system-wide coordination. The CEB adopts decisions prepared by three sub-structures: the HighLevel Committee on Programmes (HLCP), the High-Level Committee on Management (HLCM) and the UN Development Group (UNDG). Coordination is carried out along thematic lines, e.g. climate change: CEB agreed on a Joint Action Plan on Climate Change, thus enabling the Secretary-General in Bali to speak for the entire United Nations.

In an age of global challenges that are cross-cutting and impossible to treat separately, coordination within the UN system appears to become more and more important. What vision do you have for your work in this context?

Nowadays, most global issues are crosscutting, e.g. climate change. Within the framework of UN coordination, all UN entities need to define relevant niches within which they can add their specific comparative advantages and thus add value to the UN activities.

Do we need new UN agencies for new and broader challenges, or new partnerships, dialogue and thinking in networks etc.?

There are always considerations regarding new agencies or upgrading Programmes into Specialized Agencies. I do not see an urgent need for new structures. New partnerships of all relevant stakeholders, including states and governments, civil society, academia as well as the corporate world are increasingly pooling their resources to meet

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In trying to master this big challenge, streamlining and better reporting, in the preparation as well as in the implementation phase, is required. Furthermore, accountability regarding implementation should be increased.

Before being appointed Assistant Secretary-General, you served as the Permanent Representative of Austria to the UN Institutions in Vienna.

What motivated you to take the step to New York?

I felt a need for change after nearly seven years in my old position. Most of all, my passion for the UN and UN coordination questions were the motivating factors. It is my profound conviction that we have to contribute to the UN and its work to make a difference.

Your advice to Brussels based UN system interns?

Work hard, read a lot! Become aware of whether you really want to invest your life energies into the common good. Do as much networking as possible, crosscutting all cultures, and remain realistic so that you do not lose your optimism and idealism!

Alexander Degesegger Austria Intern at IOM

COUNTRY SPECIAL PAGE 12

Nigeria’s urban challenge 90 million in 1990, 117 million in 2001, 126 million in 2003, 135 million in 2007 and an estimated 204 million in 2030. When looking at the population size of Nigeria, it becomes clear that it matters what year you look at.

With a 3 % annual population increase, Nigeria is one of the fastest growing countries in the world. With a current population of 135 million this means that one in five Africans live in Nigeria.

While its large population size gives Nigeria importance as a regional and global actor, population growth also presents the country with a number of serious challenges.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

One such challenge is the increasing tension within Nigeria’s remarkable, multicultural society. Nigeria boasts

In the centre of Africa, Nigeria has the largest population of the continent.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

over 250 ethnic groups, 550 languages (although English is the official language), three schools of law (English common law, Sharia law and traditional law) and a 50-40 percentage division between Muslim and Christians. Existing difficulties in accurately counting the population is a cause of conflict as population size is a strong determinator in the distribution of both power and funds. The feeling of being underrepresented is likely to contribute to calls for compensation in a country where corruption is widespread.

Another challenge for Nigeria is to make its large oil reserves benefit the growing population. Nigeria is today the world’s fourth biggest exporter of crude oil, representing 95% of its exports. Yet 70% of the population still live below the poverty line and the country’s GDP per capita of $2,200 means that Nigeria ranks as number 174th in the world.

Fortunately, the economic growth still exceeds the country’s population growth.

A third challenge, linking the previous two, is urbanisation. 2007 was the first time in history where the world’s urban population exceeded the rural population. Nigeria is no exception. A younger urban population and rural to urban migration mean that Nigeria’s urban growth of 5 % even exceeds its overall population growth.

By 2030, Nigeria’s urban population is estimated to double equalling today’s total population of 135 million. This means that cities, normally seen as engines of growth, will be attracting a large number of Nigeria’s multicultural population to relatively small areas. And herein lies the challenge and potential of urbanisation.

Urbanisation in developing countries is often synonymous with the lack of water and proper sanitation, social exclusion, criminality and vulnerability to natural disasters. However, as hubs of commerce, production and know-how, cities also have the potential to elevate developing countries from poverty.

However, this development is far from certain since most new urban residents are born, or arrive, in slums and find it

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difficult to improve their situation. Adding to the harsh living conditions in slums, national and local authorities, fearing the spread of criminality, sometimes forcibly evict slum dwellers. Since 2000, about 2 million people have been forcibly evicted from their homes in Nigeria, including almost 1 million alone from the city of Port Harcourt in 2001.

UN-HABITAT’s main goal is to help national and local authorities develop sustainable ways to deal with urbanisation and to fight urban poverty. Help can range from technical support in the field of urban governance and planning, to financial support to improved water and sanitation infrastructures. However, in order to make a significant improvement, further efforts are needed from the entire donor community. The challenges of reducing both ethnic tensions and poverty in Nigeria’s changing demographic landscape are huge. Addressing these challenges by looking at the potential of urbanisation might not be the only solution, but it is probably an increasingly important one.

Jakob Rindegren Sweden Intern at UN-HABITAT

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Joao (Portugal)

Interns on internships

“You need some experience to get a job, but no one will give you the chance to get that experience! So far internships have mostly been unpaid, and all about bringing coffee and making copies, yet, it is changing now as national and international internship programs are being created”.

Antoine (Belgium)

“It is contradictory: once you are done with your studies, people judge you on your language skills and the number of internships you have done, although internships are not necessarily conclusive”.

Dina (Denmark)

Klaas (Belgium)

“Internships are an opportunity to start working without having too many responsibilities. Our government wants us to finish our studies as soon as possible, yet companies want us to get experience before hiring us.

“Internships should be included in higher education to give students practical experience with their studies. This is also an advantage when they enter the job market. International sciences and international relations policy makers in Belgium should consider this possibility”.

As students in Denmark are rather “old” when starting college, they get even more demanding as for internships”.

Despina (Greece)

Céline (Belgium)

“In

Greece internships are not widely spread except for those that are part of university studies.

“Internships are usually part of our studies. It does not matter much if they are not paid, yet interns should get some help for transport and accommodation. However, employers should not demand that applicants for a job must have done a long period of unpaid internship because it is not easy to afford that”.

You get the opportunity to have great experiences as internships are really nice, and get a first glance of the work life”.

Drawing: Vânia Rodrigues

Intern at the UN….. « Wow!!!....Now, that’s something I HAVE to love…but wait….am I able to do that? ...Do I have the skills required?

The United Nations Regional Information Center… And they offer ME, random French student in Toulouse, the great opportunity to do an internship in Brussels?!! ... What exactly will I have to do?

How is it going to be like? The United Nations has such a great, yet mysterious image that it seemed hard at first to really know what I would be asked. Then you get to meet your desk officer and all the people you are going to work with. And

everything is put in place. The nebulous organization turns out to be more accessible, human than I would have thought.

A worldwide-respected international organization living through people like you and me. Such a warm welcome, such a good atmosphere. Lots of people from various backgrounds and countries working together, numerous languages being used. And, unlike in many other organizations and firms, interns at the UN are not asked to bring coffee or to make copies for others...not even once….!!! Thanks to the daily press reviews I get to know everything that is

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happening worldwide. Translations keep my knowledge about foreign languages “updated”. I feel more useful and enriched every day. Such a learning experience. Welcome to the United Nations! »

Stéphanie Roussarie France Intern at UNRIC (French desk)

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In Brussels, it is not only the job hunting…

September 2007, Tuesday afternoon, I arrived at the Brussels International airport. It was raining (surprise, surprise!). I took a taxi to my youth hostel, paying 60 euros to the Moroccan origin driver only to find out later that the tariff was 30 euros.

from a people living in a small, wealthy country at the heart of Europe and host of the EU, the organisation promoting unity.

After a few months here, I still cannot figure out if Belgium exists or not, but I do know that somewhere between

At the hostel I was served by a very helpful Chinese receptionist, bought a bottle of water from a Pakistani corner shop and had a walk in the Arab neighbourhood where my youth hostel was located.

After a few months, I feel I have adapted quite well to Brussels, eating exclusively sandwiches and waffles and carrying an umbrella in my bag on a daily basis –which however is useless most of the time, since it has often stopped raining once I get it out of my bag and open it.

I have to admit that incidents like a Walloon’s (ethno) regionalistic delirium one October evening at the metro, a Flemish guy’s nationalistic hate speech at the laundry service one Saturday morning and Belgian flags hanging from the windows, surprised me even though I’m from the Balkans. I didn’t expect this

France and Netherlands lies the capital of Europe.

Shattering the stereotypes of a dull, eurocratic urban center, “Bruxelles Capitale” is a “multi-culti”, lively city. To me, the colourful comic strip murals decorating the buildings, the irresistible sweet smell of waffles from a street vendor, the “petits chef-d'œuvres” made from chocolate, grown ups reading comic books on the bus and of course the little-naughty-peeing landmark of Brussels, all create a childlike, unique atmosphere surrounding the Art Nouveau architecture of the city.

And then for the job hunters, here are some links that may be useful to those looking for a traineeship opportunity in Brussels. Once you find what you have been looking for, you will realise on your own that not only living, but also working in Brussels, is a unique experience in itself!

One of the numerous comic strip walls in Brussels Photo: Magnus Langli

And finally a tip for the newcomers: do not feel discouraged if you don’t speak/pronounce English/French correctly. You are in Brussels, nobody does! ;-)

Looking for an internship or a job in Brussels?

We have gathered some links for you here below.

Traineeships at the European Institutions:

European Organizations independent from the European Union:

Flemish Public Employment Service (VDAB)

Council of the European Union

Council of Europe

Stepstone search engine

European Commission

Eurojobs

European Parliament

United Nations:

Court of Justice

UNbrussels

European Economic and Social Committee

Other Organizations: NATO

European Job Mobility Portal

European Ombudsman Joint Research Centre (JRC)

International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Expatica

Community Training Programme for Junior Experts in the Commission Delegations

Assembly of European Regions (AER)

European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

Other useful links: Eurobrussels Jobsite

Internal Voices No 3/ May 2008

Orientation Employment portal (French) Actiris (French/Dutch) Arbajob search engine (French/Dutch)

Effie Elefferiadou Greece Intern at UNFPA

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Despite the fact that Brussels is vigorously proud of its coffee culture, I still miss my Starbucks coffee. It is not so much the coffee- it’s the whole experience.

«I have been to Brussels so many times and even though I enjoy having an espresso with each waffle, with each speculoos and after each meal, there is still something missing…

Nowadays, I am living in Brussels and am not a tourist anymore. I have a regular life, but what I call “the missing sensation” has increased. I miss ordering, (in Starbucks’ unique language) a “tall chai latte” or a “grande americano“ on my way to work; or alternatively, sitting in one of their “love seats” for hours while I read a book or chat with friends enjoying the smell of freshly brewed coffee.

calls it each time he comes to see me), as well as to adapt to the habit of visiting a place where I burn my tongue each time I drink a brewed coffee.

Nevertheless, everything I have mentioned above and the feeling of greeting the same Starbucks employee every morning while going to work becomes part of my “working day” or part of my “weekend treat”. I guess what I’m trying to say is that it becomes part of my routine. Some could argue that routines are boring; well, I truly invite you to try “the Starbucks’ routine” and send me an email later!»

Birgitte Wizel Brazil Intern at WHO

However, I am Brazilian and very loyal to espressos so it took me a while to get used to the “bucket style” (as my dad

I would like to share a point of view that may appear original in this magazine, that of an “indigenous” person… a Belgian.

Brussels is not only a city built forever (and ever), teeming with mountains of waffles, or holding kids constantly peeing. For me, Brussels is also the scene of an endless argument between two communities, the Flemish and the French-speaking, it is the life of a particular dialect created from these two languages and it is a city possessing an intimate and friendly atmosphere, but yet alternative.

In August 1830, Brussels was the stage of a “revolution”.

The opera Muette of Portici with a theme of patriotism and liberty was being staged at the national theatre. The similarity between the plot and the Belgian situation generated some “enlightenment” and led the population to rebel against the Dutch power. A few weeks later, the Dutch army fled the country during the night, covering the hooves of their horses with textile for a silent escape. Belgium was born…

Maybe because of these origins, Belgium has often been seen as a land of freedom among artists such as Maurice Béjart or Victor Hugo.

speaking), 7 parliaments and 5 governments. Well, it seems that one of the principles of Belgium is “not being simple”. And maybe because of that, a characteristic of the Belgian people is to not pay too much attention to political problems. 6 months without a government? Never mind, life goes on…

One of the best qualities of Belgians is, in my view, our selfmockery. The daily cartoons that can be found in the national newspapers about Belgian politics literally illustrate this feature.

A French political specialist once described Belgium as a model of rationality: even if there are many problems and intrinsic differences, they do not turn to war because they use the philosophy of negotiation and compromise as much as possible.

Brussels has a lot to offer, and some places I like to go to are the Museum of the Cinema, where you can find projections of mute films accompanied by live piano music, the national theatre and opera La Monnaie, the museum of contemporary art Bozar, Botanique- a concert venue, and finally Rue Haute (close by place Louise) with its special cafés and antique dealers.

I invite you to sample that particular atmosphere which makes Brussels so unique.

The composition of Belgium is unique: one small country but with 3 official languages (French, Dutch and, after WWII, German with the annexation of a German province), 3 regions (Wallonia, Flanders and Brussels), 3 communities (French-speaking of Belgium; Flemish and German-

Internal Voices No 3/ May 2008

Céline Croon Belgium Intern at UNRIC (Director's desk)

PAGE 16

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Klaas Ornelis is Belgian, from the Flanders region and an intern at the United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe, working for the Benelux desk. He holds a Master in Political Sciences – International Relations and Europe and a Master in Applied Ethics (International English Programme), both from the University of Leuven. « As far as I can remember I have been drawing and painting. As a child, I was fascinated by coloured pencils and the world around me. Later as a hobby during high school, I went to the art academy for three years, and in University I

still found the time in the evenings and the weekend to obtain my second year of the higher degree in the art of painting at the Art Academy of Zottegem.

It was in my last year at the academy that I made the sketch of the bear in charcoal and later in oil paint. The oil painting took several weeks, since it first had to be drawn in correct proportions, and then by painting layer by layer the creation eventually became the warm and colourful bear it now is. »

Internal Voices No 3/ May 2008