Life at the U.N. (Below S.G. Annan's Floor)

About the Book

In "Life at the U.N (below S.G. Annan's floor)", the author describes an ambitious couple working "at the U.N" for a contractor, The Catering Services: Lou Louis and his warrior-type wife Louise, who both try every honest mean to "get Louis in". [The U.N Secretariat payroll]. Over the 10 chapters relating the cloud of events and emotions that the Louis are going through; any reader and applicant for a better job, thinking of the U.N. as one of those great places to work, either for a career or for a "job", may quickly live a nightmare instead of the promised good pay and benefits, interesting work, friendly offices, and the chance to learn and grow... With an humorous-oriented style and purpose, Eric Waha adjusts in many ways the image of the "perfect U.N world", which as for everything worth having in life, will take much time and effort to any Secretary-General or Member State to put back on right tracks in a reasonable amount of time, if one considers it, an achievable task...unless like many U.N executives, but not all fortunately, you prefer to put your sunglasses on ! *********************************** Eric Waha is also the author of "U.N. Affairs" (2005) and "Invest Africa 2007". (January 2007) The book is now available at the following (online) librairies: Trafford Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, WorldCat, Borders, IndieBound, Alibris, PapaMedia, Dualj,Abebooks (Presidents and Heads of State), Revish, Boomerang Books Australia, Boekrecensie, Foyles Book Shop London, Inkmesh, EBay, Deastore, Yasni, U.N. Dag Hammarskjold Library within the U.N. Secretariat Headquarters in New York, etc... ************************************** The serious points presented in this satire are: What does the U.N. look like before February 2004? What does the U.N. look like today? Bottomline= The U.N: A Productive, Secure and Comfortable Workplace? How many comfortable salaries and what about the money paid for deals, projects and consultancies that do not pan-out and U.N. staffers' egos, which lead to bad decisions? The U.N. are a political institution that promote peace and human security and economic and social progress in the world. a) They do Peace-keeping, b) They help in emergencies, c) They fight poverty, d) They protect the environment, e) They stand for human rights? f) They improve health and education, g) They build democracies, h) They set standards, i) They promote Women's rights, j) They prevent nuclear proliferation, k) They combat Terrorism. Are those concepts well promoted within the U.N. itself between country representatives /wihin the U.N. Secretariat ranks? Does the staff (not the country diplomats that make decisions) behave in a way that can make you conclude that they have these goals at heart, that they act in their professional and private life with such respect for each of these goals and activities or is their reason for working for the U.N. essentially monetary? According to the official discourse, "the Headquarters in New York city consist of four main buildings: the General Assembly building, the Conference Building, the 39-floor Secretariat building, and the Dag Hammarskjold Library, which was added in 1961. The complex was designed by an international team of 11 architects, led by Wallace K. Harrison from the United States. The Headquarters of the World Organization is located on an 18-acre site on the East side of Manhattan. It is an international zone belonging to all Member States. The United Nations has its own security force, fire department and postal administration with United Nations stamps. The building stands alongside courtyards, a staff cafeteria, a delegate's lounge and at the Public Inquiries Unit, located in the public concourse, visitors can obtain additional information materials relating to the United Nations and its agencies. The United Nations postal counter - where visitors can buy UN stamps - a UN book store, gift shops, and a coffee shop are also located in the public concourse, within the U.N. compound. 1) Is the organization an employer of choice for people who are: •Committed to achieving peace and human security and economic and social progress in the world through peace operations and development effectiveness? •Dedicated to generating and sharing knowledge and applying it programmatically for high-impact peace and human security and development solutions? •Motivated to work in a collegial environment that respects and values diversity? •Determined to demonstrate high performance through creativity, efficiency and accountability? •Eager to invest in professional growth and development? 2) Is the Organization an equal opportunity employer, a workplace free of discrimination and harassment on the basis of age, gender, religion and disability? Gender at the U.N. Is the U.N. committed to gender equality at all levels, locations and in all functions throughout the organization? Does it have a Gender Action Program, if yes, has the U.N. adopted gender mainstreaming as one of the key strategies which further has improved representation of women at the U.N. since its creation? What are the Employment Insights for Women Professionals and what policies, workshops, publications and brochures are helping the Prevention of Sexual Harassment? 3) Staff Services at the U.N. Housing – Does the U.N. provide his staff at Headquarters and in the field, a list of accredited U.N. housing brokers to help expatriates find residential accommodation in cities on one hand for Headquarters staff and interns and on the other hand, in gated communities, condominiums or serviced apartments easily for the staff in the field? 4) Expatriate Spouse Employment – Do the U.N. assist spouses looking for employment through an Expatriate-type Spouse Employment Assistance Program? 5) Health and Education – How close in proximity to medical facilities and hospitals of international standards are U.N. employees, spouses and dependants?. International coeducational schools, consisting of both non- and denominational institutions, are there also nearby the U.N. offices besides the U.N. International school and the Lyceum Kennedy in New York? 6) Clubs – Does Cultivating and sharing a common interest with your colleagues a U.N. priority? Are U.N. staffers respecful of each other? Are some U.N. staffers using their security connections and privileges to undermine some of their own colleagues by putting them without reason or their colleagues' knowledge on security agencies watch lists? — What is the total of sports and hobby clubs that the U.N. houses and support?. Where to play with sports enthusiasts from the Badminton, Basketball, Bowling, Football, Golf, Squash, Volleyball, Water Sports, Lawn and Table Tennis Clubs? Where to learn Martial Arts, Yoga and Tai Chi, or enhance your talents by joining a Dance Guild and Chorale? Can you take photographs with the Camera Club -if one exists- or share recipes with the Foodlovers-if one exists- or debate with the Toastmasters, or build up your vocabulary with Word Games members, or learn a foreign language with the Language Workshop Club -if one exists-? 7) Workplace Facilities Library and Learning Resources Centers – Is browsing through an up-to-date collection of references including books, periodicals, newspapers, maps, journals and documents always available to you in a friendly manner? Is Training through multi-media stations ialso available? Canteen, Dining Rooms and Snack Services – Open for breakfast, lunch and snacks? Do U.N. canteens -if they exist in your field office- provide comprehensive cuisine including African, Asian, Western, Vegetarian and Halal dishes? Can you purchase snacks from service staff roaming the office or reserve one of the dining rooms for special meetings or functions? Medical and Dental Clinics – How many of you were posted in a remote area of the world and had to wait weeks if not months

About the Author

Eric C. Waha: 1. Economic Investment Analyst (Emerging Markets - Africa) / Analyste de l' Investissement Economique (Marchés Emergents - Afrique) since January 2007. (Examination and assessment of economic and market trends, earnings prospects, earnings ratios, and various other indicators and factors to determine suitable investment strategies). Examen et évaluation des tendances économiques et de marché, des perspectives de gains, des taux de rendement, et divers autres indicateurs et de facteurs pour déterminer les stratégies d'investissement appropriées). 2. M&A and JV Deal Provider for private equity fund (Apporteur d' affaires -Fusions & Acquisitions et Entreprises Jointes- pour le fonds d'équité privée) : The FMS Group Pte Ltd (Singapore) / Stepping Stone Equity Pty Ltd (Brisbane, Australia) since July 2010 ( "The World of capital, its power to build businesses and affect lives") 3. Author of "Le Flambeur" (Roman); "La Politique Africaine de la France" (Essai); "La Vie Politique Francaise des Annees 90" (Essai); "Life at the U.N. below S.G. Annan's floor" (Comedy) 2004; "U.N. Affairs" (Non Fiction) 2005; "Invest Africa 2007: 120 Promising Opportunities, 55 Countries and Territories" (Non Fiction) Dec 2006; "Pressions Destabilisatrices Majeures Sur Les Etats" (Non Fiction, coming soon); "Les Camerounais et leur Argent" (Non Fiction, Coming soon)***Financial Writer, Planner, Investment Advisor, International Relations Analyst. He also has a real estate industry experience in the U.S. Among his independent advisory company current projects, a "Cameroonians and their Money" type of guide (Les Camerounais et leur Argent), and the newspaper: "Cameroun Finance Journal -CFJ". ********************************************* He graduated in Diplomacy from the University of Paris-Sceaux, France, in 1993, and earned degrees in political science from the Institute for higher political and social studies of Paris, France, in 1992; and in international studies from the Institute for higher international studies of Paris, France in 1991...