I Was There: voices of humanitarian leadership

Jan Eliasson was the first Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator in the UN in the early 1990s. In 2012, Eliasson was appointed as the Deputy Secretary-General of the UN by the then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. He also served as a diplomat for the Swedish Government, including as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Ambassador to the UN. In this episode, Jan Eliasson talks about his role in the establishment of the UN General Assembly resolution 46/182, the creation of the then UN Department for Humanitarian Affairs, his experience as UN’s first top aid official ever and the nitty-gritties of politics in the humanitarian world. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of individual speakers and do not imply approval, expression of any views or responsibility on the part of UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

David Bassiouni was the first person to perform the role of a Humanitarian Coordinator for the UN in the early 1990s. He also held several senior positions with the UN, including as Deputy Director for UNICEF’s Office for Emergency Programmes. Prior to his career in the UN, Bassiouni served in senior government positions, including Regional Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Sudan. In this episode, David Bassiouni takes us back to the early 1990s, when he was asked to take a front seat to lead the humanitarian operation in Somalia during its civil war. Bassiouni reflects on the challenges and successes of bringing humanitarian agencies back together after many had earlier left the country due to ongoing insecurity. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of individual speakers and do not imply approval, expression of any views or responsibility on the part of UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Jan Egeland was the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator from 2003 to 2006. He has also served in various high-level positions in the UN, including as a Special Advisor to Colombia and other advisory and leadership roles on the Syria crisis. Egeland's career also includes service to the Government of Norway as State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since 2013, Egeland has been the Secretary-General of Norwegian Refugee Council. In this episode, Jan Egeland recounts the backstory of his efforts to change the way international humanitarian system delivers aid in what is known today as the “Humanitarian Reform” of 2005. He reflects on the lessons and reasons that led him to believe the system needed a reform, as he identified major shortcomings in the way humanitarians responded to major emergencies at the time. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of individual speakers and do not imply approval, expression of any views or responsibility on the part of UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Baroness Valerie Amos served as the UN Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (USG/ERC) from 2010 to 2015. She held various senior level positions with the British Government, including as High Commissioner to Australia and Secretary of State for International Development. In 2021, Baroness Amos was appointed as Master of University College, Oxford. In this episode, Baroness Amos takes us back to her time as the ERC. She reflects on the shortcomings of international relief operations and her key role in reforming humanitarian coordination through the “Transformative Agenda”. She also talks about her experience navigating the challenges and complexities of delivering aid during the Syrian crisis. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of individual speakers and do not imply approval, expression of any views or responsibility on the part of UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

John Holmes served as the UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (USG/ERC) from 2007 to 2011. Prior to joining the UN, Holmes had a long career as a British diplomat in several missions, having also held a number of high-level posts with the British Government. In this episode, John Holmes explains how he navigated the delicate world of politics during his time as the ERC. He reflects how he applied his diplomatic skills to deliver on the humanitarian mandate of the UN in world’s most complex and challenging crises at the time, including Sudan and Sri Lanka. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of individual speakers and do not imply approval, expression of any views or responsibility on the part of UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Margareta Wahlström is a Swedish diplomat who has held various leadership positions in the Red Cross, including as the Under Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the President of the Swedish Red Cross. She also has held leadership posts with the UN, including as the first Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Head of UN’s office for DRR as well as Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. In this episode, Margareta Wahlström reflects on her career with the Red Cross and the UN, and her experience in shifting from humanitarian response to disaster risk reduction. Wahlström shares her experience on how she brought organizations, communities and governments together to agree on a global agreement known today as the Sendai Framework for DRR. Disclaimer: The opinions and memories expressed in the “I Was There” podcast series are those of each individual speaker and do not imply the expression of any opinion or responsibility on the part of UN OCHA.

Antonio Donini is a veteran humanitarian worker, having served in leadership positions in the United Nations, including as the head of UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) and as Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan. He has also served as the Chief of the Lessons Learned Unit at OCHA, where he managed a programme of independent studies on the effectiveness of relief efforts in complex emergencies. In this episode, Antonio Donini takes us back to late 1980s and early 1990s on his time in Afghanistan and through examples of how he had to navigate the challenging operation at the time. He shares insights into the humanitarian context in Afghanistan from over 30 years and reflects on the interlinkages between the humanitarian world and the world of politics. Disclaimer: The opinions and memories expressed in the “I Was There” podcast series are those of each individual speaker and do not imply the expression of any opinion or responsibility on the part of UN OCHA.

Mark Bowden has over 40 years of experience, leading UN’s humanitarian response in some of the world’s most complex and protracted crises, such as Afghanistan and Somalia. He also held various leadership positions in the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) and Save the Children, both in headquarters and country offices. Bowden has also had a career with the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office. In this episode, Mark Bowden discusses the nitty gritty of UN’s “integration” concept, where UN’s development, political, human rights, humanitarian and sometimes peacekeeping arms come together. He reflects on his time in Afghanistan and Somalia, both countries integrated missions and how he navigated the different roles while delivering on the humanitarian mandate.   Disclaimer: The opinions and memories expressed in the “I Was There” podcast series are those of each individual speaker and do not imply the expression of any opinion or responsibility on the part of UN OCHA.

Martin Barber has worked in some of the world’s most challenging humanitarian crises, leading emergency operations in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Honduras, Laos, Thailand and many more. He also served as Director of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and held various positions with the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA). In this episode, Martin Barber takes us back to the early 1990s and reflects on when the UN General Assembly resolution 46/182 was established, UN’s cornerstone humanitarian mandate. He shares insights on the creation of OCHA in the late 90s and discusses the coordination challenges between the UN agencies to respond to the humanitarian needs of refugees (fleeing outside the country) and those of the internally displaced people at the time. Disclaimer: The opinions and memories expressed in the “I Was There” podcast series are those of each individual speaker and do not imply the expression of any opinion or responsibility on the part of UN OCHA.

Ross Mountain is a humanitarian veteran having worked with the UN across multiple countries and leading some of world’s most complex emergencies over the years. He has held leadership positions in the UN, both in headquarters and country operations, including in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Liberia, Haiti, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and many more. In this episode, Ross Mountain takes us back to the early 2000s and the bombing of the UN Headquarters in Baghdad’s Canal Hotel, when 22 aid workers were killed, including the head of the mission Sergio Vieira de Mello. He shares his personal insights on the importance of safety and security in the world of humanitarianism. Disclaimer: The opinions and memories expressed in the “I Was There” podcast series are those of each individual speaker and do not imply the expression of any opinion or responsibility on the part of UN OCHA.