We had problems in the early '80s when I wanted the Kenya Country Office to be recognized as having its own Representative separately from ESARO also in Nairobi with an accredited Regional Director. The government finally agreed. Now three? Maybe that 1980s negotiation paved the way for this one. Who knew? Mary
When I took over the Quetta Provincial Office in Pakistan in 1985, the man whom I was replacing drove to the Quetta airport in a brand new Toyota Crown which he has ordered for himself, and it was flying the UNICEF flag. He was leaving Quetta on the flight that had brought me there. I found the driver who took me straight to the office where I asked for the car to put in the garage; the flag removed and given to me, and the keys were put into my care. I had the impression that the UNICEF flag was only ever to be used by the Representative or above on diplomatic duty. The only time that the flag was used in the four years I spent in Quetta was when our Representative was paying a courtesy visit to the Baluchestan Chief Secretary. Did someone say 'pomposity' ? Obviously, one flag in Quetta was one flag too many.
A few days later, I phoned the SPO in the Islamabad Country Office and asked if he wanted a brand new Toyota Crown? It was an opportune moment because they were just about to order one, so I made a deal. Our senior driver would drive the vehicle to Islamabad providing that he was flown back to Quetta. He'd never been in an airplane before.
Further to complicate matters, the UNICEF Quetta office that I inherited had 30 staff, 15 vehicles and 6 drivers. It took just over 2 years to sort that equation. When I left, the office had 18 staff and possessed 5 reconditioned LandCruisers and an aging Toyota Cressida; serviced by 4 drivers. Seemed to work just fine.
Talk about pomposity, I remember that in Khartoum in the early 1970's the US Ambassador used to come to our Sunday softball pickup games with his official car flying the Stars & Stripes.
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We had problems in the early '80s when I wanted the Kenya Country Office to be recognized as having its own Representative separately from ESARO also in Nairobi with an accredited Regional Director. The government finally agreed. Now three? Maybe that 1980s negotiation paved the way for this one. Who knew? Mary
ReplyDeleteImmagine. I, in my ignorance, thought the cartoon was a jibe at UNICEF pomposity.
DeleteWhen I took over the Quetta Provincial Office in Pakistan in 1985, the man whom I was replacing drove to the Quetta airport in a brand new Toyota Crown which he has ordered for himself, and it was flying the UNICEF flag. He was leaving Quetta on the flight that had brought me there. I found the driver who took me straight to the office where I asked for the car to put in the garage; the flag removed and given to me, and the keys were put into my care. I had the impression that the UNICEF flag was only ever to be used by the Representative or above on diplomatic duty. The only time that the flag was used in the four years I spent in Quetta was when our Representative was paying a courtesy visit to the Baluchestan Chief Secretary. Did someone say 'pomposity' ? Obviously, one flag in Quetta was one flag too many.
ReplyDeleteA few days later, I phoned the SPO in the Islamabad Country Office and asked if he wanted a brand new Toyota Crown? It was an opportune moment because they were just about to order one, so I made a deal. Our senior driver would drive the vehicle to Islamabad providing that he was flown back to Quetta. He'd never been in an airplane before.
Further to complicate matters, the UNICEF Quetta office that I inherited had 30 staff, 15 vehicles and 6 drivers. It took just over 2 years to sort that equation. When I left, the office had 18 staff and possessed 5 reconditioned LandCruisers and an aging Toyota Cressida; serviced by 4 drivers. Seemed to work just fine.
Talk about pomposity, I remember that in Khartoum in the early 1970's the US Ambassador used to come to our Sunday softball pickup games with his official car flying the Stars & Stripes.
ReplyDeleteThe veil of anonymity is thin!
Delete