❝The youth generations do not have to wait to be invited to the UN for supporting SDGs❞ Mr. Maher N
❝SDGs ranks high on the list of objectives for us to work on.❞
What are your responsibilities for SDGs in your roll?
Maher Nasser: The SDGs are a priority for me as they are a priority for the United Nations as a whole, for the Secretary-General and for the Member States. They rank high on work priorities and are incorporated in the various projects and initiatives that we are engaged with. The work of the Outreach Division includes working with partners in the civil societies, private sector, academia, students and youth, and the creative community. Our objective is to create a better understanding about the 17 SDGs and other priorities on the agenda of the Organization. The SDGs were adopted in 2015 with a goal of achieving them by 2030. Our work aims to create awareness of and support for the SDGS among these partners as they are important for their future. What are the SDGs about, why are they important and why should they make every effort to achieve them? We always think about how to move from awareness to action and what are the best ways to reach wider and wider audiences? It is essential for everyone to understand the importance of SDGs and their impact on their life and that of their children. Next, we stress that it is everyone’s responsibility to be engaged as the SDGs cannot be achieved by governments and the United Nations acting alone. What is the role of the private sector? What is the role of Universities, including students? There are many things that can be done at the individual level to steer our efforts in the right direction.
We work with information materials produced by colleagues in DPI and use them through our platforms and share with our partners, including the creative community. I strongly believe the importance of using storytelling as a way to widen the reach of our information and messages. We produce factual information; but people are more impacted by a story. In that case, we work with film, documentaries, fictions, and programs for children to help create better awareness of the SDGs.
What is the reason why you wanted to work at the UN?
Maher Nasser：I went to a school run by the UN for the refugees (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East – UNRWA). After graduation, there was an opportunity to work for UNRWA in Gaza. I never thought at the time that this would put me on a 30-year career path that brought me to where I am today. When you start working for public service, you want to do more. I have always looked for ways in which I can expand the impact of my work to help the community among which I lived. My first mission was related to Palestine refugees, and I then moved to jobs that focused on global issues, one job led to another and after 30 years, here I am, here in New York.
In addition to the SDGs, our tasks include advancing and advocating the overall Agenda of the UN, such as the Peace of Security, Sustainable Development, and Human Rights. For me, it is about ensuring that the future is protected for today’s children, including my own. UN wants to leave a legacy for the future generations that ensures that future generations can enjoy the same things that we are enjoying today, or even better. If we fail, the danger is that, and perhaps for the first time in recent history that future generations would have a bleaker future than that of their parents and ancestors. We should not allow that to happen. We always have to make sure that we leave a better place for our children. However, when we look at the impact of climate change and environmental degradation, we need to re-energize and re-engage in these areas. It is about working to improve prospects for the future.
For those seeking a career in the UN, it is not necessary to only think of New York, the UN headquarters. The UN employs thousands of people around the world in peacekeeping mission, humanitarian functions, in human rights protection and so on. Working for these objectives, including through the NGO sector, you can support SDGs as well, which is also important.
❝The Youth generation need to be involved and make the voices.❞
What is your expectation for the youth generation to achieve SDGs?
Maher Nasser：Today’s generation of youth is the biggest we’ve ever had not he planet. They are more connected than any previous generation because of internet and other technologies. I think that they do not have to wait to be invited to the UN to support the SDGs, which are meant to benefit them. They need to be involved and make their voices heard. World leaders agreed in 2015 to achieve SDGs by 2030 and to do that, youth have to come on board. We are going to support them as much as possible. Young people have the imagination, energy, and innovative spirits to make a difference. This will give us a big push to move SDGs forward. However, they need to be aware of what the SDGs are and be engaged. They need to educate themselves and advocate for the SDGs, because they are about their own future.
What is the best way for the youth generation to achieve SDGs?
Maher Nasser：If you look at the SDGs and what they are about, there are certain things that everyone can do, even at the individual level, to reduce the impact on the environment. For example, I use this water jug and this glass to drink water in the office to avoid having using plastic bottles. I always carry with me this canvas tote in my briefcase, so if I stopped at a store to buy something, I use it instead of the plastic bag from the store. Carrying an eco-bag with you does not require much and it can reduce the number of plastic bags used. In doing so, you can participate in the campaign and educate others. There are many simple things that you can do can to reduce the impacts on the environment. Of course, in different situations in different countries, what you can do varies. Nevertheless, what you need to do is to educate ourselves to achieve SDGs and find out how you too can make a difference.
Furthermore, companies listen to youth, so you need to use your voice to achieve the SDGs. As one of the methods, you can use social media to deliver your voice. Companies and politicians know that you are important for their future as voters or consumers, so make sure that you let them know that you care about the environment, climate change, the health of the oceans, poverty, gender equality, and all the other SDGs. Thus, every company will start to think how they can change their practices to generate product and service that the youth would buy. The more you are engaged, the more those in charge of government and companies will pay attention to your priorities and long term interests.
❝You should look for the work related with your passion.❞
Could you please give the message for the people who are going to be a UN staff?
Maher Nasser：First, it is very important to appreciate our differences, as the UN has staff are very diverse, they come from different backgrounds, cultures and perspectives. Second, languages and communication skills are critical. In my case, I got my first job in the UN because of my language skills, namely English. I graduated with a degree in engineering, but I also had good English, and I chose to work with NGOs using my language skills rather than as an engineer using my degree. English I the main working language in the United Nations, and you need to be aware that you are competing with people with English as their mother tongue, so work on your language skills. Once you enter the job market, in the UN or anywhere else, the most important thing for your success is to do something that you like and care about. If you care about the environment, look for the work related to that passion, you like to work with people, find a job that puts you in touch with people, and so on. It is important to feel satisfied and happy in your job. When you are happy in your job, you will succeed and success brings more satisfaction.
Mr. Maher Nasser Director of the Outreach Division of UN Department of Public Information
Mr. Maher Nasser has over 30 years of work experience in the United Nations System. In the last seven years, Mr. Nasser was appointed three times as Acting Under-Secretary-General in charge of the Department of Public Information, and most recently as Acting Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications from 1 April to 31 August 2017. Mr. Nasser took up his current position as Director of DPI’s Outreach Division in February 2011. From January 2006 up to his current post in New York, he was posted in Vienna and Cairo. Before joining DPI, Mr. Nasser worked in various positions with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Gaza, Jerusalem, Vienna, Amman and New York. From 1992 to 1994, he worked with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna. He has also worked with two Jerusalem-based NGOs focusing on development and human rights. Maher Nasser is currently a visiting Scholar at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) while on Sabbatical Leave from the United Nations. Maher is a new runner who completed the New York City Marathon in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Interviewed at the United Nations Headquarters in 4th December
Interviewer：Cosmo Takagi (Japan) Edited：Chamila priyadarshani (Sri Lanka), Cosmo Takagi (Japan) Posted on the Website：Megumi Wada (Japan)
