UNESWA Radio Interview with the UN Resident Coordinator, Ms Nathalie Ndongo-Seh

1. Welcome your excellency and thank you for taking time in your busy schedule to be with us – as students and young people. We do feel honoured by your kind gesture. First and foremost, can we start by knowing you more and the role you have in the United Nations. So my first question is: Who is Ms. Nathalie Ndongo-Seh?

Firstly, thank you for having me in your show. It is always exciting for me to be among young people who full of life and intelligent like you are.

Who is Nathalie Ndongo-She? I am a mother to my two wonderful children; Alexia-Raphaelle and Jayden Preston, I am a wife, daughter, sister and friend. I was born in Cameroon, so am a proud African woman, schooled in France and have a deep passion for fighting for those left the furthest behind in today’s world.

I am a former Attorney at-Law. I began my international career in the private sector in France, Cameroon and Ivory Coast. My  career in the United Nations started in 2000 in East Timor where I was a Legal Officer. Over the past 21 years with the United Nations, I have worked in peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan, Liberia, Israel, Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, and Ethiopia. I have also worked in the fields of peace and security; justice and rule-of-law; governance; partnerships building; institution-building; resource mobilization; ethics, conduct and discipline; and management.

I arrived in Eswatini in December 2018 to serve as the first UN Resident Coordinator under the new UN Reform where the office of the Resident Coordinator is independent of UNDP or any other UN agency. Prior to that I was the Chief of Staff of the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU), as well as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan (OSESSS) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

I have Bachelor’s Degree in Commercial Law; a Master’s Degree in International Law; and a postgraduate Degree in International Economic Law, all obtained from Pantheon-La Sorbonne University in Paris, France.

Beyond my career, the essence of me lies with my love for God and my family, quality time with loved ones and enjoying the culture and beauty of every home in which I have the blessing to live.

2. Can you unpack for us, what is role of the UN Resident Coordinator?

The UN Resident Coordinator is responsible for the coordination of all organizations of the United Nations dealing with operational activities for development at any given country. My main goal is the advancement of sustainable development, with a focus on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

I report directly to the UN Secretary-General as well as the Head of State. That is, His Majesty in our case.

The coordination of UN agencies, funds and programmes is done to ensure that that the collective efforts of the UN are coordinated and aligned to support countries to meet the goals of the 2030 Agenda.

In 2020, the RC coordinated the development of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF 2021-2025), which is our new strategic document to guide how we are going to support the Kingdom of Eswatini in the next five years.

There are 16 agencies, funds and programmes implementing this Cooperation Framework which seems to contribute to “a prosperous, just and resilient Eswatini where no one is left behind.”

3. We understand there are reforms in the UN to better assist Member States to achieve the SDGs. Can you tell us what  the reforms are about?

Thank you for the good question and yes, you are correct!

Since the beginning of his term in January 2017, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres has made proposals to reform the United Nations to improve the delivery of the UN’s mandate in the following areas:

• Development
• Management
• Peace & Security

I will focus mainly on the development reform as development is what we are about in the Kingdom of Eswatini.

One of the main changes of the development system reform is a new generation of UN country teams (UNCTs), with roles and profiles tailored to the context, and that deliver shared results, and with clearer and more robust lines of accountability, from UNCTs to host governments, from the Resident Coordinator to the Secretary-General, as well as between RCs  and heads of UN entities at the country level.

The UN Country Team is led by an impartial, independent and empowered Resident Coordinator. Thus, my position did not exist prior to the reform.

The Secretary-General also implemented a new management paradigm for the United Nations that empowers managers and staff, simplifies processes, increases transparency and improves on the delivery of UN mandates.

The reforms aim to prioritize prevention and sustaining peace; enhance the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations and special political missions and move towards a single, integrated peace and security pillar.

This all sounds rather complicated but indeed, the UN reforms are a powerful step to ensuring a more effective, cohesive, transparent and coherent delivery of UN mandates, national development priorities and indeed, Agenda 2030.

4. This week, on 3 May the world commemorated World Press Freedom Day. What does this Day mean to you?

World Press Freedom Day serves as a reminder to Governments and all of us of the need to respect our commitment to press freedom. It is also a day of reflection among media professionals on issues of press freedom and professional ethics. It is an opportunity to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; assess the state of press freedom; defend the media from attacks on their independence; and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

As stated in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Freedom of Expression is a fundamental human right.

“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."

Media freedom and access to information feed into the wider development objective of empowering people. Empowerment helps people gain control over their own lives. This can only be achieved through access to accurate, fair and unbiased information; representing a plurality of opinions; and the means to actively communicate vertically and horizontally, thereby participating in the active life of our communities and nation.

World Press Freedom Day is therefore exceptionally significant in today’s democratic society.

5. During this difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic, how can journalists in Eswatini be empowered to continue their work?

Distressingly, across Africa, media freedom is tightening, whilst support for journalists and freedom of the press is decreasing. Nearly thirty years after African governments loosened control over broadcasting media and publishers, Africa’s media face ever-increasing threats.

New laws implemented make the imprisonment of journalists more frequent; media houses are being closed down across the continent whilst Internet shutdowns are commonly used to silence the press.

It is so important that the world recognizes the difficulties, threats and harm that journalists face daily. Support must be provided to journalists both physically and emotionally as they report on horrifying and difficult situations. The emotional and psycho-social toll had on journalists is heavy and unacknowledged: it is therefore up to Governments and society-at-large to support those who inform and empower us on a daily basis.

Our journalists should take a moment to reflect on the incredible work that they have done during the COVID-19 pandemic, in communicating life-saving information to Emaswati. I would hope that they have access to psycho-social services as they work in exceptionally difficult circumstances and indeed, find themselves face-to-face with COVID-19 on a daily basis.

I encourage journalists to prioritize themselves and remind their colleagues to do the same, as the COVID-19 pandemic has been exhausting for us all and rest is requires to continue.

6. What advice would you have for young female journalists and media practitioners?

I’d like to quote the legendary Maya Angelou; “I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life.” I encourage all young female journalists and media practitioners to remain focused on what lies deep within their hearts and sets their souls on fire; do not lose yourself in the noise of it all, for your loves and passions are so important to follow.

I’d encourage them to get up each day in the knowledge that they are bold, strong, smart and worthy. Seek inspiration in the words of leaders-past and whatever you do; continue to take courage.       

Be kind to yourself on your journey, and do not fall into the trap of comparison, for you are phenomenal in your own right and your story will never be the same as another’s: how wonderful is that? Reject the spirit of shame when you fall, but remember that you are not alone, for the greatest success stories are often made from the greatest falls.

You will learn hard lessons along the way, but learning is not failure; it is only the water that grows the flower that is you. At the end of the day, your loved ones will welcome you home: and that is something to be cherished.