What was your last assignment with UNICEF?
Regional Director LACRO, retiring in 2016, but with a comeback as RD a.i. for 16 months in 2019-20. One of my achievements was to chance the name of the office from TACRO to LACRO.
How old do you feel?
My mind feels a lot younger than my body. I wonder why no one told me that in your mind, you stay the same person all your life?
Where do you live?
Panama. Panama City, but the old city. Casco Viejo. Within some 30 blocks, a UNESCO Heritage site, I walk to do my errands, to buy my groceries, to the markets to buy fresh fish, fruit and vegetables. We also have around 20 good restaurants and bars within walking distance. If you ever visit Panama City, book your hotel in Casco Viejo and mail me. I`ll show you around.
What book do you currently read?
I usually read several books at the same time.
Erased. The untold story of the Panama Canal by Marixa Lasso. I did not know what was going on when they built the canal. If you believe you know, you are probably wrong.
The week. A history of the Rhythms That Made Us Who We Are by David M. Henkin. I always wondered where the concepts time and particularly the week, came from. Now, I know.
If you could travel without restrictions, where would you go?
Every year we used to go to my summerhouse on East Island in the Oslo fjord, Norway. It`s been 4 years now since the last visit. I`m most happy to be back there for some time in a couple of weeks.
Your best experience with UNICEF?
I probably had my best performance as Chief of Operations, Lifeline Sudan, 2002-2004 and Rep. in Afghanistan, 2004-2006. However, my richest years of learning were as Chief of Staff for ED, Ann Veneman, 2007-2009. It`s a pity so few people in UNICEF got to know Ann and that her contributions remain so underrated. Nevertheless, I lost my heart to a woman and the peoples of Latin America and here I am. This is home.
Your biggest challenge when working for UNICEF?
Staying polite and engaged in conversations with politicians who had no interest in the topics we were discussing and no intention, whatsoever, to implement UNICEF`s recommendations.
What is your biggest fear, in relation to the future of children?
Well, in Europe they are back to old fashion warfare, in the US children are shoot and killed in schools, and, at the same time, the planet we live on, is dying. Young people suffer from anxiety about the future, and for good reasons: Our generation have failed to bring peace on earth and to nurture our planet. People in the US (driven by NRA) believe the solution is more arms to the “good people” and people in Europe (driven by NATO) believe the solutions are larger military budgets in the “good countries” and a bigger, stronger NATO. I’m sorry, but in 30 years, the earth will, most likely, not be a nice, happy place to live. I apologies to our children and grandchildren.
What is your greatest hope in relation to children?
That they will elect better and wiser leaders than their parents and grandparents did. That they will be more successful than previous generations taking care of the planet.
What is your one piece of advice to the UNICEF Executive Director?
Work closer with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. If you can replace the current Board with the Committee as your Board, do it! If you can`t, make the Committee your superior advisory body. Governments work in their own interest, not in the best interest of the child. The delegates members of your current Board are working for government trying to win the next elections, not to benefit future generations.
Bernt Aasen can be contacted via aasen.bernt@gmail.com
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Bernt, thanks for sharing your concerns
ReplyDelete1) I particularly liked your suggestion to replace the Board with the Child Rights Committee. Things may have changed now, since I retired in 2005, but not enough attention was given to the Report to the CRC by most governments - it was seen as a ritualistic obligation to please UNICEF as few governments followed up the concluding recommendations made by the CRC- in India, I joined the NGO alliance that prepared the alternate report almost a decade ago and little action was taken on implementation of the concluding recommendations- for that matter India’s report is long overdue.
2) I wonder why is it that with the exception of Xunicef colleagues : Agnes Aidoo, (Ghana) Hiranthe Wijemane( Sri Lanka) and I think Hoda Badran ( Egypt) governments have not nominated knowledgeable Xunicef nationals to the CRC- a real loss. The other two Marta Santos Pais and Akila Belemgao joined Unicef after their CRC terms.This is a major area for our advocacy as Xunicef.
3) great that you managed to change TACRO to LACRO - I was Representative in Guyana from 2001-2003 , so I know why that’s important . I recollect we had met at a RMT.
Sree
Dear Bernt . Thanks for sharing your views. I dare say that while your body may have changed somewhat, your wisdom and subtle sense of humor have both remained unchanged. Keep it up.
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