In
UN
Musical
Chairs,
Baumann to
UNECE, Kane
Disarming, New
Communications?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 27, updated
-- For
weeks Inner
City Press has
reported that
current UN
Under
Secretary
General Angela
Kane of
Germany is up
for
transfer
either to the
top
Disarmament
post or to the
UN Economic
Commission for
Europe.
Then
fellow
Germany
Michael von
der
Schulenburg
was removed by
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon from
his post in
Sierra Leone,
reportedly at
the
request of the
government
there which
wants a
compliant UN
envoy to
assist in
re-election.
In
the
calculus of
Ban's UN, this
leaves Germany
"needing"
another top
post. What to
do?
Monday
well
placed sources
told Inner
City Press
that a
solution being
considered it
to send to
UNECE in
Europe not
Kane but
rather fellow
German Franz
Baumann, often
the subject of
UN staff fight
back, and
then give Kane
the
Disarmament
post. Another
said UNECE,
vacated by Jan
Kubis, would
go German, but
to "a bigger
German."
What
of the other
Disarmament
contenders? On
Friday Inner
City Press
confirmed that
the
Philippines'
Permanent
Representative,
who worked
himself hoarse
chairing a
previous
disarmament
related
conference, is
definitely
interested in
the job, as
is his
counterpart
from Peru.
(Neither
country has
ratified the
treaty on
cluster
munitions, as
we
have noted.)
A
well placed UN
source,
responding to
Inner City
Press'
reporting on
who's in line
to replaced
Vijay Nambiar
as Ban's chief
of staff,
laughed and
called it a
"position
without power,
Kim Won-soo
does all the
work." The
source
continued that
Ban will
continue
with Kim, with
an eye to
post-UN
positions in
South Korea.
Part
of
the problem
here is
communication.
And the
position as
Ban's head
of
communications,
held by
Michael Myer,
has been
advertised for
new
applicants, as
well as
executive
office power
being left
empty by the
next UNAMA
Deputy in
Afghanistan.
Can't tell the
players with a
scorecard -
watch this
site.
The
job
notice says
the speech
writing
reports to the
chief of
staff,
through the
deputy chief
of staff: Kim
Won-soo:
The
Director
of the Speech
Writing and
Communications
Unit reports
to the
Chef de
Cabinet,
through the
Deputy Chef de
Cabinet. The
Director
will be
responsible
for the
following:
·
Provide
combined
policy and
communications
advice and
expertise to
the
Secretary-General,
the Deputy
Secretary-General,
the Chef de
Cabinet and/or
Deputy Chef de
Cabinet, in a
strategic,
coherent and
effective way,
and ensure
that the
Secretary-General’s
message is
heard by
audiences in
all regions of
the world;
·
Lead efforts
to position,
or
re-position,
the
Secretary-General
or
the
Organization
in the debates
of the day;
and to raise
any other
urgent or
sensitive
issues that
are already in
the media and
require
a response, or
may appear in
the media in a
way that may
adversely
affect the
Secretary-General
and the
Organization
unless
properly and
quickly
addressed;
·
Ensure that
the
Spokesperson
is equipped
with
coordinated,
considered
guidance on
specific
issues for the
daily noon
briefing,
or as
required;
advise or take
decisions on
(i) which
issues, if
any,
merit a
statement by
the Secretary-
General; (ii)
whether and
when
the
Secretary-General
or his senior
representatives
should appear
before the
media on the
key issues of
the day; and
(iii) what
news
articles or
editorials
require a
response;
·
Work closely
with the Head
of the
Department of
Public
Information
and the
Spokesman to
ensure
coordinated
and relevant
communications
priorities;
·
Attend, as
required,
meetings
chaired by the
Secretary-General
or
the Deputy
Secretary-General
on
high-profile
issues, with a
view to
formulating
and moving
forward a
coherent and
coordinated
message and
updated
guidance on
the issue
concerned;
·
Represent the
Secretary-General
in public
fora,
including in
the
media, with a
view to
amplifying the
Secretary-General’s
message;
advise the
Secretary-
General on
media
opportunities
in
consultation
with the
Spokesperson,
and provide
guidance on
matters
pertaining to
the media;
·
Draft major
speeches;
review, edit
and clear a
wide range of
texts
for the
Secretary-General,
Deputy
Secretary-General
and others in
the
name of the
Secretary-General
– speeches,
remarks,
toasts, op-ed
articles,
messages,
talking
points, press
statements,
blurbs for the
back covers of
books, etc. –
on issues that
cover the
entire
spectrum of
the United
Nations
agenda;
·
Lead
consultations
with the
Secretary-General
and his senior
advisors on
both the form
and content of
speeches and
other
materials
to ensure that
the
Secretary-General’s
vision and the
Organization’s
institutional
policy are
well
articulated;
·
Attend
strategy
sessions on
political
issues and
communication
efforts;
liaise with
the
appropriate
departments in
the
Secretariat/UN
agencies,
members of
civil society
and private
sector;
·
Manage the
Speechwriting
Unit to ensure
all deadlines
are met and
that issues,
as they arise,
are attended
to with
immediate
effect,
and in an
efficient
manner;
Oversee the
maintenance of
the speech
schedule, the
assessment of
incoming
requests;
·
Act as the
principal
interlocutor
with UN
offices and
entities on
matters that
relate to
speeches to be
prepared for
the
Secretary-General
and other
senior
managers
within the
EOSG, and to
other
communications
that may be
sent out on
behalf of the
Secretary-General.
Qualifications:
Education:
Advanced
university
degree in
political
sciences,
international
relations,
journalism,
public
administration
or related
field,
including
advanced
training
courses in
strategic
communications.
Experience:
Over
15 years of
progressively
responsible
experience in
substantive
areas,
including in
the
communications
and media
fields;
extensive
experience in
drafting
high-quality
materials,
including
speeches, in
English;
thorough
knowledge of
international
political,
economic and
social affairs
and of the
United Nations
itself.
Work
experience
in varied
assignments in
the
Organization
an asset.
Language:
English
and French are
the working
languages of
the United
Nations
Secretariat.
For this post,
fluency in
oral and
written
English is
required.
Knowledge of
French is
highly
desirable.
Other
skills:
Demonstrated
outstanding
communication
skills, both
written
and verbal,
including
prior
publication of
articles,
studies,
chronicles,
books etc
, 
