Croatian interview with the UN employee

We are happy and honored that we managed to make an interview with the UN employee Mrs Nevena Bakalar. After contacting her, we explained Mrs Bakalar everything about our project Magic Values Erasmus+ and she was happy to help us and gave us the informations about the UN from the fisrt hand.
Once again thank her for all the help she gave us.
Here is what she said to us 💖

  

Interview for Elementary school Lapad, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Can you tell us something about the United Nations organization in which you work?

I work for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Bonn, Germany. The organization works to fight the challenges posed by land desertification and degradation, which is one of the major causes of human migration and displacement. The Convention is supported by 100 world nations, or country parties, which also includes Croatia. We are currently preparing for our Conference of Parties (COP), which is to take place in China in September 2017 where the most pressing topics and decisions will be discussed and made regarding land degradation and desertification matters.

What is your current role within the respective United Nations organization?

My role is that of a key Communications Focal Point for a specific project called the Land Degradation Neutrality Fund (LDN Fund), which seeks to promote private and public investments in projects that combat land degradation on a global scale. My responsibilities are to communicate with private and public institutions, partner and academia to identify relevant projects in developing and developed countries. Also, my role is to maintain and update information and knowledge on our online platform (our website: www2.unccd.int), as well as other public websites. Our team produces informative communication materials, such as brochures, market studies, pamphlets, scientific articles and event-news articles.

What was your motivation for entering the United Nations system?

Since my High School degree in Toronto, Canada, I was drawn to the studies of international politics and diplomacy. I chose courses such as international relations and political science. During my University period, I studied International Relations and graduated with a Master Degree in Global Environmental Studies. My education was directed toward work with global environmental issues on a global scale and it was the next logical step that I would begin to apply to United Nations jobs in this area of specialization.

What is the process of entering the UN job market?

The process of entering the job market with the UN is a lengthy one, however if one adheres to the process rules and guidelines of applications, one can expect to receive a positive response within a reasonable time frame. Knowledge of English plus preferably one additional UN language (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Portugese) is of great value when applying for a job with the UN. Also, exposure to working with different cultures and in different world locations is a big plus.

What can you recommend for young people who wish to focus on entering the UN system in the future?

Every United Nations organization has a junior programme, which is specifically designed for young people who wish to gain experience within the system. Also, each organization has their own respective rules regarding the admission and process of applications, which can be found on their websites under Junior Programmes. Most often, such programmes offer young people the exposure to the working world of the United Nations, teaching them the basic values and principles of the system. There are also several summer programmes-camps, with the objective of bringing young people from different countries together, allowing them to exchange knowledge on the basis of their educational and cultural backgrounds. These types of scenarios also ensure that the young participants gain exposure to a new (UN) language, which is crucial in the case that they chose to continue to focus on a career within the UN system.

What are your thoughts about the Magic Values Erasmus+ project and its importance for young people in Europe?

I am following the Magic Values project and I think that it a great way of continuing the European integration process in education between member states, in the way of motivating young people to gain international exposure and stand outside of their comfort zone. It is quite similar to a number of UN Junior Programmes, which also promote the integration of different cultures and values and seek to unite young people from all over the world. In my opinion, it is crucial that young people from every nation are given an opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience with other young people from other cultures and nations, and therefore become better prepared for the global job market.

Nevena Bakalar
Research Officer - The Global Mechanism
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification - UNCCD
Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1, D-53113
Bonn, Germany