Report shared by Kul Gautam
Kul Gautam to Will Parks
Dear Will,
This is yet another excellent example of UNICEF's proud history - “UNICEF in Iran: 70 years for every child”.
I appreciate how this book recognizes UNICEF leaders - both global and those who served as UNICEF Reps in Iran - who have made a memorable and meaningful contribution to UNICEF's work in Iran over the decades.
This too can serve as a sample for other UNICEF offices as they prepare or update the history of UNICEF in their countries.
It is important that we not only prepare such documents but: a) make them readily available and visible on UNICEF office websites with a dedicated tab, b) make such historical documents a required reading as part of the orientation for new staff members - and for their counterparts, when appropriate; and c) update them periodically - perhaps every decade or so, and do it in an attractive manner using the evolving digital technology to cater to different types of audiences - perhaps including a child-friendly version in the national language or the most widely spoken vernacular.
This was the essence of the recent message in a letter from the 8 former UNICEF Deputy Executive Directors to the UNICEF Executive Director.
Given your previous experience in Iran and elsewhere, I hope you will prepare and/or update some such material in Cambodia in the lead-up to UNICEF@80.
This was the essence of the recent message in a letter from the 8 former UNICEF Deputy Executive Directors to the UNICEF Executive Director.
Given your previous experience in Iran and elsewhere, I hope you will prepare and/or update some such material in Cambodia in the lead-up to UNICEF@80.
With warm regards - Kul
I join in complimenting Will Parks and the Tehran Office for their publication commemorating UNICEF @70. It is a welcome addition to the history of UNICEF where institutional memory has been somewhat neglected in recent years. While it is an attractive publication for advocacy and information it has some inconsistencies and omissions. I fully understand the dates are shown in the Persian calendar, but UNICEF @70 was in 2016 while 1325-1395 comes out to some 66 years. For historical purposes, the evolution of the office was as follows: Basic Agreement signed on 2 August 1951 ; in 1954 it covered Iran and Iraq under the East Mediterranean Area Office in Beirut; from 1973 it became a Country Office for Iran until 1977 when the office was closed until 1982. It re-opened as a Country Office in 1984. While the publication details some project activities it should have indicated that earlier projects like malaria eradication and transport management were among the largest and most important in the Middle East Region.
ReplyDeleteIn fact there were international Reps in Tehran before 1984 including Dr. Otto Lerner and Sigurd Norberg .After Andre Roberfroid came Ibrahim Jabr (Jan 1995-Nov 1996); then Sharad Sapra 1997-99; then Suleiman Diallo 2001-02; Kari Egge (the first female Rep) 2003-05 and Christian Salazar 2006-09.
It is hoped that the office will continue this effort and produce an updated publication for UNICEF@80 in 2026.