I Was There: voices of humanitarian leadership

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).