What do you need to get a job at the UN? How to take part in UN humanitarian and peacekeeping operations, with subsequent employment at the UN? About UN Radio
Vladislav Dovolny, a former intern at the Department of Political Affairs for Central and Central Asia of the United Nations American Office in New York, told how you can get an internship without knowing the language, meet the minister during lunch, and why it is impossible to get a job at the UN.
Why the UN?
There was no desire to get into the UN specifically; there was just an interest in going for an internship abroad. At that time, it was a huge gamble, since I had never studied English in depth and, accordingly, knew the language very poorly (approx. Vlad’s specialized language is German). When I arrived in the USA, I had with me several pages of text written by my girlfriend:
what I had to say at customs in order to be allowed into the country.
What was the procedure for applying for an internship?
We had to fill out a form, write a motivation letter and provide confirmation from the university department that our teaching load included English. I filled out the application somewhere in September and already before the new year I received a confirmation letter that I had been accepted for the internship; the letter also included a list of necessary documents for applying for a visa.
How did you manage to overcome the language barrier?
I was lucky, the head of the department, as well as my supervisor Brian, knew Russian. I can’t imagine how I would have completed my internship if there weren’t people there who didn’t understand Russian or couldn’t say anything in it. Otherwise, all my communication with them would be reduced to communication via email.
What were your responsibilities?
My job was quite simple. I needed to track events taking place in central and central Asia via the Internet. For this work, they specifically looked for an intern from Russia, since in Central and Central Asia you can find more information in Russian than in English.
Describe the everyday life of a UN intern.
My working day formally began at 9 am, but here’s the story: everyone was usually 20-30 minutes late, that is, if you come at 9:30, then no one says anything to you, if you come at 10 am, they can make you remark, but coming later is no longer comme il faut. I arrived at 9:30, in fact, like most of the department’s employees. I had general work, monitoring sites, collecting information on various policies, on the situation with water in a given region, that is, local questions for a specific place: what is happening in this region, who controls what, what are the moods, etc. Some kind of information gathering. In addition, there were some issues related to private assignments. For example, one day an online meeting was organized between representatives of the central, Geneva and Kyrgyz offices, I needed to make a report of this meeting. This was one of the most difficult tasks for me, because when 5-6 people speak a lot and very quickly, it is difficult to understand and take notes at the same time. I asked the curator if I could use a voice recorder and they told me that I couldn’t, since it was classified information. However, I understood that without a voice recorder I would fail the task, so I hid the voice recorder in my shirt pocket and at home transcribed the recording, which I deleted immediately after writing the report and still haven’t told anyone what we talked about then.
I wasn't particularly busy for two reasons. The first is my low level of language, and the second is my high level of secrecy. The information that I collected is not secret, but a further report to management with certain conclusions drawn on the basis of the information I collected was marked “secret”.
Once a week on Thursdays we had a “week meeting”, an analogue of the Russian “fly-outs”. We talked about what the department was doing, what data was needed, what had been done in a week. Thursday is a very convenient day, because if something needs to be completed this week, then there is still Friday.
What interesting things happened during your off-hours?
At lunchtime you can go to a “brown rally”. The idea of a “brown meeting” is simple: employees gather for lunch in one of the conference rooms of the UN building, and at the same time listen to speakers, ask questions, discuss, i.e. combine business with pleasure. In essence, this is just another “work meeting”, only you can also eat at it. Moreover, high-level people speak at these meetings, for example, once I listened to a speech by a deputy minister, and another time by an ambassador. What was strange to me was how a person could simultaneously eat his burger and ask the minister a question about the report. It’s hard to imagine how I would eat during the dean’s speech at my faculty, or how the chairman of the city government committee would tell something to the chewing people at a meeting in Smolny.
Were there any special events for the interns?
I was the only intern in my department. As a rule, each department had one intern, but if the department was large, then two interns worked. During my internship, there were 300 interns working at the UN headquarters in New York. We were given orientation lectures in the first days, where we were told about safety and other aspects of the trainees’ work.
Interns were given special cards to enter the UN building. The same cards provided the right to free admission to various cultural institutions, such as museums.
How realistic is it to get a job at the UN after an internship?
There is practically no chance. In order to officially get a job at the UN, you must work “in the fields.” These are UN missions in developing countries, lasting 2-3 years, which are also very difficult to get into without practical skills. After that, you get in line for the vacant position. In addition, the number of languages you know is of great importance - the more, the better. If you do get hired, then first you go through a long probationary period, after the probationary period they sign a contract with you for one, then two years, and so on. To reach the rank of head of a department, you must work in the organization for at least 15 years, excluding field work.
The second option is when you have worked somewhere else, you are a valuable specialist and you are invited to the UN. Thus, some former diplomats from the post-Soviet space ended up working in this organization.
Third option. I still think there are other workarounds. We had one of the orientation lectures, led by a 24-year-old young man. He held a position that, due to his age and formal requirements, he could not hold, but nevertheless, he worked at the UN.
Did the internship help you find a job in Russia?
Employers are usually interested in practical work experience. I was almost never asked about an internship when applying for a job. In general, an internship abroad usually tells the employer that the applicant speaks a foreign language at a level sufficient for communication. Although in my case, at that moment, this statement was controversial.
Do you want to prevent environmental degradation, help poor countries develop their economies, resolve civil conflicts, or promote social justice and capital redistribution? You can definitely find your ideal job at the United Nations. The UN is a huge employer and offers advancement opportunities and career path choices comparable to those of large private companies. Although the competition for most positions is quite intense, with enough preparation and a little luck you will have a chance to land your dream job at the UN.
Steps
Preparation
- Official UN website (http://careers.un.org)
- "UN Job Monster" website (http://www.unjobmonster.com)
- UN Job List website (http://unjoblist.org)
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Decide which category you would like to work in. Careers at the UN are divided into several categories, each of which has specific educational requirements and areas of specialization. Within each category, there are several levels of positions that differ in the amount of previous work experience required. Based on your skills, interests and experience, choose the category and level that suits you. Here are your options:
- Professional and higher categories (P and D)
- General Service and Related Categories (G, TC, S, PIA, LT)
- National Specialists (NO)
- Field Service (FS)
- Senior positions (SG, DSG, USG and ASG)
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Make sure you have the necessary education and skills. Each vacancy has certain requirements in relation to education and work experience. Before you apply for any position, make sure you meet all of the position requirements; otherwise, your candidacy will not be considered. Here is a list of some requirements that are found in many UN vacancies:
- Fluent in English or French (these are the working languages of the UN). Knowledge of additional languages, such as Arabic, Chinese, Spanish or Russian, is also preferred.
- Bachelor's or higher degree. Some general low-level positions (mostly administrative and clerical positions in the General Service category) require only a high school diploma and usually relevant work experience, but most UN positions require at least a bachelor's degree. Many specialized positions require higher academic degrees in the specialty.
- Experience in a suitable field. Depending on the position, you may be required to have 1 to 7 years of work experience.
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Pass the oral exam. The Oral Examination includes an interview with the Admissions Committee to determine whether you have the skills and characteristics required to work in your specialty at the UN. The results of this exam will tell you whether you will become a member of YPP or not.
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Obtain approval from the Central Examination Council. If you are successful in the interview, you will be approved by the Central Examinations Board for a position on the YPP work roster. When the next vacancy in your specialty opens, you will be offered this position.
- Obtaining approval from the Central Examinations Council does not guarantee a job. Although your chances of getting hired will be extremely high, the invitation to work depends on the number of open positions in your specialty.
- If you fail the final exam, you will be notified that you have not received approval from the Central Examinations Board.
Browse the UN website to learn more about the organization's different areas of work. What areas of activity interest you most? Are there any areas for which you already have suitable qualifications? Are there areas that you would like to work in, but for which you do not have the right skills or experience? Do some research on the organization and its structure before you start looking for open positions. A wealth of useful information can be found on the following websites:
- Gender is an advantage. Article 8 of the UN Charter states: “The United Nations shall impose no restrictions on the right of men and women to participate in any capacity and on equal terms in its principal and subsidiary organs.” However, there is a clause in the UN Employment Regulations (ST/AI/2006/3, Section 9.3) that grants women the right to receive preferential treatment in the employment process. If you are a woman and are on the UN work register (a list of candidates who have been approved by the commission but not offered a job), your name will remain on the register at three years", which means you can expect a job offer during this time. Men remain on the register for only two years.
- Be extremely careful when submitting your application. Check spelling and grammar, integrity of information, etc. Remember that every little mistake can be a reason for your exclusion from the competition, especially since employers are usually inundated with thousands of applications.
- Submit your application as early as possible. Employers usually don't take kindly to last-minute applications. In addition, there is no doubt that a large number of applications will arrive at the last minute, which means that your candidacy will be considered less carefully if your application is one of the last. Applications sent after the vacancy has closed will not be considered.
- People who apply for jobs at the UN usually know someone in the organization. Do you know anyone? Think about how you can connect with people who could help you get a job at the UN. Despite the principles and rules, merit is not always the key to employment at the UN. Also be aware of country-by-country quotas and biases about certain countries - these factors can either work in your favor or hurt your chances.
- Feel free to find out more about the vacancy via email or phone. For example, you could ask whether lower-level UN staff are applying for the position. This way you will know what kind of competition you have. At the same time, don't be surprised if your attempts to find out more information about the position are unsuccessful.
A pattern: I always have enough time to write a complaining or angry post, but rarely enough time to make me happy and happy. Today is no exception. I decided to tell you something about an internship at the UN, or more precisely about how and why you don’t get there.
It all started about a year ago, when I was still a student at a European university and dreamed of getting an internship at a very specific UN unit in Vienna. At some point, I met a couple of people who had already interned with this organization, in other departments in other cities, and according to their reviews, the internship should have been a breakthrough in my career. If not further employment, then at least very useful connections and acquaintances. I started small - I applied for an internship. And I immediately realized that there was zero chance, because, firstly, by the time of the internship I would not be a student (and this is a mandatory condition), and secondly, interns at the UN are not paid money and are not reimbursed for expenses in connection with moving to place of internship and accommodation. But, I repeat, I submitted an application. And almost immediately I stopped waiting and switched to my studies.
And then one day, checking my mailbox, I found a letter from the UN (after a good 3 months, although it should have been 1) with an invitation for internship.
Wow, I thought. Amazing coincidence or fate? In any case, it was necessary to start in two months, time has passed.
After carefully reading the conditions, I realized that they were inviting me to another department, completely unrelated to my specialization. Knowing how many people want to get there (to this department that chose me), I was very surprised. And I thought about it, because I had to spend my money and 3 months of my life on the internship. Was the game worth the trouble?
Another snag, the main one, was money. I really wanted to get money for this business (and in the end I couldn’t), so imaginable and inconceivable options for how to do this were already turning over in my head.
But the main thing that slowed me down was the lack of support from the inviting party - even informational, even oblique accommodation in Vienna, where I had never been. Of course, I made an attempt and contacted the organizers of my internship at the UN about this. There wasn't even a response. Well, I thought. Any result is also a result. Either housing will turn up for me and money will be found, or it was not mine.
I started working in all directions, to no avail. The housing was too expensive or very dubious to try to rent it without money and send the deposit to nowhere. The city is also expensive - and without finding money for accommodation, I could not afford the trip.
Later, in a calm state after the fact, I analyzed everything, talked to a number of individuals who either interned or worked at the UN, and here are the conclusions I came to.
1) Only wealthy students can afford an internship at the UN. Wealthy is if he is from the middle class in a developed country, or from a caste in a developing country. Otherwise, it's unlikely. There are always exceptions, but in general this is true. According to the testimony of one guy from Hungary, who had an internship in the New York office, there were mostly Australians, citizens of Western European countries, and Canada with him there. There was a small percentage of people from other countries, but during that time he did not meet a single intern from, for example, Africa. The guys I know who trained in Geneva are all from wealthy families. The Hungarian I mentioned said that he could not pay for his accommodation in NY for 6 months (for which he was invited), and only stayed there for 2.
2) From the first conclusion follows the second, that there is indirect discrimination based on nationality. It cannot be proven because there are no visible reasons for such discrimination. But in life it turns out that mostly wealthy people from developed countries intern at the world’s largest international organization. This is natural selection.
3) The UN uses the labor of professionals for free (people not just with higher education, but often with master’s degrees and the like, with experience working at the international level), while not even helping with information as an intern with the search for housing, loans for internships, visa support . This is just such a magical organization where everyone wants to go, so they will come in any case and without the help of an inviting party.
4) Little things that neglect interns. For example, I was hired into a department that was completely unsuitable for my specialization. I am sure that there were hundreds of people who wanted to take my place, who understood the subject better than me (considering that I didn’t understand a damn thing about it). But they hired me, most likely, as a native speaker, which they lacked at that time. This is the only logical explanation. Those. They left behind people who really wanted to work in a field that I couldn’t care less about, just because they needed a free girl translator.
And these glorious stories about the fact that interns are given a guest badge, and every day they enter the UN building through the tourist entrance with a full inspection of their clothes, etc. When employees walk through the employee entrance.
5) After this miracle internship, you will not be employed at the UN for at least the next 6 months. This is the rule. The reasons why it was installed are clear. However, what should people who have already worked and successfully done? Sit at home and wait. Eat as you want, earn money in another way. We will contact you someday.
Yes, working at the UN is the dream of many. Should I complain, because I was invited. Should I be indignant, because I had the opportunity, albeit small, to find money for this business? But why is this place so special? It is losing credibility on many fronts. It does not give equal access to all peoples of the world, but only to a select few (for the most part, well-lived peoples). This is a feeder for fat cats.
I would still like to see the UN from the inside, to work in some organization associated with my direction. To confirm or disprove yourself. But I really want that for such an organization, where many intuitively strive (just like GazProm in modern Russia), motivated and educated people would not be meat and mass.
You can go abroad and become a member of a prestigious organization even without work experience and without money. Right now the United Nations (UN) is looking for volunteers for great projects in Cambodia, Thailand and even Fiji. The author of the Brain Drain telegram channel Tatyana Shcherbakova has collected current internships and projects for SM for the third time.
Mentioning the UN on a resume drives employers crazy. This year was an exceptional case: Russia sponsored almost two dozen vacancies for the first time. All of them are available only to candidates with Russian citizenship. Most positions do not require work experience and are designed for young people (from 18 to 29 years old).
Volunteers will be provided with flights, visas, insurance and a one-time payment for moving. There is also a salary, and a rather large one - from 1280 to 1600 dollars per month. This money is paid to cover the costs of housing, food and transportation. Those lucky ones who pass the selection will fly to their projects around the beginning of October and stay there for a whole year.
The deadline is just around the corner: the application must be submitted before July 25. Hurry! If you need to improve your English for this - . If you don’t understand how to apply for a volunteer program, follow the link to any of them: there are detailed instructions everywhere.
Fiji: Fighting Hurricanes and Driving Innovation
The UN Development Program solves problems of global and national development - fights poverty, hunger, gender inequality and so on. Its offices are open in 166 countries. The first volunteer of the office in Fiji will develop innovations and partnerships with other countries, run social media programs, organize a variety of events, and communicate with the press. The ideal candidate has a university degree in media and communications, international relations or business administration.
The second volunteer has a more technical role - disaster risk reduction. He will receive programs not only from Fiji, but also from other Pacific islands. Candidates should have a strong background in engineering, information management, data management, or other related fields. Work experience is not required, but fluent English is essential.
Jordan: curbing global warming
Two more positions are open in Amman. The first volunteer will fight global warming and climate change in general. In general, work for the benefit of the Paris Agreement (the purpose of this document is to reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere). Anyone who speaks English and has a degree in Ecology can apply. During the interview, show that you are interested in the topic. Even if you just switched from a car to a bicycle, it already means a lot.
Read also:
The second volunteer will work on projects in the field of energy efficiency, renewable energy, access to this energy for the poor and refugees. The volunteer will be responsible for all Arab countries' green energy programs and a series of information materials on the topic. To get into the project, you need to be over 25 years old, have a higher education in something related to energy, and three years of work experience in your specialty.
Uganda: fight pollution
Again the UN Development Program and again ecology. Volunteer in Uganda will explore the gas, oil and coal industries. Together with other team members, he will have to think about how to provide the country with the most environmentally friendly economic growth. The candidate will need a graduate degree in natural resource development. Experience in program management and research is preferred but not required.
Myanmar: Empowering local women
Let's move to Southeast Asia - to the UN Women's Office in Yangon. A volunteer is needed there who will promote gender equality. Communicate with local government, organize events, distribute information about special services (for example, a hotline for victims of domestic violence).
Read also:
A strong interest in the topic is required, as well as fluent English. Ideally, if you have a higher education in the field of social sciences, international relations, or human rights.
Zimbabwe: delivering green urban growth
The capital of Zimbabwe, Harare, needs a volunteer with an environmental background to develop urban resilience and green growth programs. He will have to work closely with the areas of social protection, private entrepreneurship and market economics. Another volunteer will help locals improve their living and working conditions. This position will be filled by a specialist or master's degree in economics, ecology, social sciences or business administration. Work experience for a project in Zimbabwe is needed, but just a year is enough.
Cambodia: ensuring social cohesion
A volunteer with a higher education in political science will go to a small southeastern country. He will analyze the state of civil society, look for opportunities for cooperation with new and old partners, and bring local initiatives to the level of state programs. Two to three years of work in the field of social development and an age of 25 years are a prerequisite. It is also important to understand human rights, gender issues and events.
Thailand: Connecting the region
The volunteer will have to develop communications between the Asian country and neighboring territories of the Pacific Ocean. Coordinate projects, organize events, troubleshoot problems, conduct research. The new employee must understand information and communication technologies. Therefore, he needs a diploma in economics, business or ICT, and another two years of work experience in his specialty. The organizers will consider candidates over 25 years of age.
Moldova: Advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals
The only vacancy from our selection is open in Europe - at the office of the UN Development Program in Chisinau. The volunteer will work with the Sustainable Development Program until 2030 and involve other volunteers in it. Higher education must be in the field of economics, public administration or social sciences. In addition, it also requires four years of relevant experience (ideally in one of the UN structures or in the field of volunteering and promoting sustainable development goals). And, again, age over 25 years.
A UN employee anonymously spoke about professional pride, friendship between peoples and monetary compensation in the event of death.
For many, the UN is a Kafkaesque castle. Alluring, mysterious and inaccessible. Everyone wants to get there, and someone seems to get there, but no one knows exactly how to do it. Everyone has heard about the very labor-intensive application process, going through some interviews and exams, and waiting for a long time for an answer - several months or even years.
This is all partly true. Although there are situations when an applicant gets a job quite quickly and without superhuman efforts. If we get lucky. Whether you will be accepted or not depends on many factors. Both your work experience and, for example, the status of your state can play a role here. For example, if your country is “underrepresented” at the UN, your chance of getting a job there increases dramatically.
About the risks associated with working at the UN
The mission of the UN is to unite peoples, help those suffering and fight for world peace.
Of course, when getting ready for work every morning, UN employees do not mutter to themselves: “Here, I’m going to save the world again.” But in general, this feeling depends on specific responsibilities. I think if a person with a humanitarian convoy goes to the besieged Syrian city of Homs and distributes food and clothing to those in need, he feels that he is doing something very important. Or, for example, an OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) employee involved in the removal of chemical weapons from Syria probably feels that he is making the world a better place. Not to mention those who sit at Security Council meetings and decide “the fate of the world.”
Willingness to work in remote and not the most comfortable places at the UN is always welcome. As it turns out, there are not so few exotic lovers and altruists who want to help starving children in Africa. But not everyone clearly understands the realities of everyday life and work in, say, the Central African Republic, South Sudan or other hot spots.
Working in UN missions in troubled countries and war zones can be extremely dangerous. UN employees are intimidated, shot at, kidnapped, killed. However, everyone knows about this from news reports.
By the way, if an employee dies while on duty, his family and friends are paid generous monetary compensation.
About UN Headquarters in New York
I personally work at the UN headquarters in New York, in the General Secretariat. Everyone, of course, remembers the emerald skyscraper with the flags of all the member countries of the organization lined up along it. It is beautiful, comfortable and absolutely safe here.
All employees of the secretariat are proud of their work, although they try not to show it and in conversations over lunch in the canteen they like to discuss the bureaucracy prevailing in the UN and the inefficiency of the organization. In fact, everyone here feels like they are part of some kind of elite club. The bus that goes along 42nd Street in Manhattan (its last stop is called “United Nations”), every morning becomes a platform for a vanity flash mob. At the entrance to the UN, many passengers begin to take UN passes out of their bags and pockets and at the same time secretly look around: who else is taking out the same blue ID? And the one who gets it last does it with special relish: yes, yes, don’t think, I’m “yours” too.
On the other hand, this is done primarily for convenience, so as not to dig through your bag later at the entrance to the territory of a huge complex under gusts of strong wind from the East River (the UN building is located right next to the river).
About salary, schedule and working conditions
One of the reasons why many people strive to work at the UN is, of course, high salaries (8-10 thousand dollars per month on average) and social guarantees. Good health insurance, pension benefits, a flexible tax system (the UN pays most of the taxes for its employees), allowances that compensate for the cost of living in the city where you work, subsidies for rent (if you have to move to another region for work). And that's not all that the world's most powerful non-profit organization will offer you.
If you are accepted into the UN for a permanent job, then this is, in fact, a guarantee of employment for life. As some people joke, people only leave the UN feet first.
About UN Radio
I work for UN Radio (the radio service is part of the Department of Public Information of the UN Secretariat). Many people, when they hear this phrase, are surprised: does the UN have a radio? In fact, it has been around since 1946. By the way, the founding day of UN Radio is considered World Radio Day - February 13th. We talk mainly about the activities of various UN structures and bodies (there are countless of them: the Security Council, the General Assembly, UNESCO, UNICEF, the World Bank, the Red Cross, the World Health Organization, the World Meteorological Organization, UN peacekeeping missions in countries affected by conflicts). Reports, interviews, and daily news programs from UN Radio can be found (including in text form) on the official website. As a rule, all these materials are regularly used by our partners. In the case of a Russian-language service, this is, for example, “Echo of Moscow” in some CIS countries. UN Radio broadcasts in eight languages - English, French, Russian, Swahili, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and Arabic. All employees are located on the same floor, and real internationalism and friendship of peoples reign here.
Once, walking along the corridor, I saw through the door in one of the offices of the Arabic Service of UN Radio a woman in very beautiful clothes - dark blue, embroidered with silver threads. She prayed to Allah. I walked by delicately, although I was very attracted to her bright attire. The next time, passing by the same office, I expected to see her again. But a completely different lady was sitting there - in boring office trousers and a sweater, with her hair down. I involuntarily caught myself thinking: where did that Muslim woman in beautiful religious clothes go? Of course, it was the same woman, she just changed her clothes specially for prayer.
In general, there are not so many people in national costumes walking along the corridors of the UN headquarters. Of course, you can occasionally see Sikhs wearing turbans or women wearing hijabs. But most of the employees dress in a fairly standard office style.
The situation changes when some conference, say, dedicated to African women, is held at headquarters. Then permanent employees are guaranteed a multi-day exotic show. Everything is filled with the rustling of lush multi-colored dresses and headdresses a meter high. Sometimes it can even be difficult to walk down the corridor. And when they leave at the end of the conference, it becomes empty and gray.
The biggest beauty of working for UN Radio is this: firstly, the authority of the organization allows you to get almost any interview, and secondly, you don’t have to look far. The building is literally teeming with politicians, celebrities and Nobel laureates from all over the world.
About the Northern Salon of Delegates
Of all the endless halls and rooms of the UN headquarters, the most attractive is the Northern Delegates Lounge, or, as it is also called, the Delegates Lounge. Here you can have an excellent lunch or dinner while admiring the view of the East River - albeit through the “Knots and Beads” curtain, consisting of 30 thousand porcelain balls. This is the decision of the Dutch designer Hella Jongerius, who took part in the large-scale restoration of the bar.
The result, by the way, irritated many. They allegedly turned a luxurious and mysterious diplomats’ nightclub, shrouded in twilight in the style of James Bond films, into an environmentally friendly school canteen.
The delegates' lounge is almost always full. The most interesting things happen here, and happened, of course, in the evenings. Many in the UN generally believe that all major decisions are made here, and not at all at meetings of the General Assembly or the Security Council. Tipsy (and sometimes downright drunk) and relaxed diplomats allegedly quickly find a common language and in a matter of minutes agree on issues that had previously been fruitlessly discussed for hours in a bureaucratic setting.
UN old-timers say that the atmosphere in the Delegates' Lounge was once even more relaxed. During the Cold War, diplomats were allegedly even visited by girls of easy virtue.
I don’t know how much you can believe everything they say about the Northern Salon, but mission employees clearly perceive it as their personal territory, where they can throw away etiquette, forget about protocol and loosen the knot on their tie. One day, my colleague and I showed up there with a camera and tried to photograph the legendary Lounge. A couple of minutes later, a representative of the Chilean mission was running towards us across the entire hall, waving his arms. He demanded that we not “point the camera at him,” even though we weren’t filming him at all. The man, very emotionally and in a raised voice, stated that it was impossible to film here and threatened to call security.