As the Chief Security Officer with the United Nations Mission for Referendum in Western Sahara, I lead a team of 48 staff, which is the largest civilian sub-component of the entire Mission. I am fortunate to work with a great team, whose hard work has been recognised with the highest ever rating on our performance following an evaluation by the United Nations Department for Safety and Security Compliance and Evaluation Team. I believe leading by example is the key to success in everything we do in the field for all our clients.

When I worked as the Chief of Security Planning and Training in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, the rapidly changing security situation was a threat to the safety and security of civilian staff. We established a small Planning and Training Team which through various innovative approaches, provided bimonthly Safe and Secure Approaches in Field Environments (SSAFE) training, warden drills, fire drills, shelter exercises, and various other security exercises in liaison with key partners. Previously, as the Chief of Security Training and Development in United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), my team and various local partners delivered weekly SSAFE Training in both English and Arabic to nearly 2000 United Nations staff and the electoral mission.

As a Field Security Coordination Officer (FSCO) in UNMIS Sector V, I managed a team of 76 security staff in an environment with limited resources where the living conditions were extremely challenging especially for female staff. There are few distractions from work in such locations. One of my proudest moments was being in the right place at the right time so that I could assist a colleague who was involved in a remote accident. I was the only United Nations staff at the scene, and immediately drove my colleague to a UN Level-2 hospital for emergency care prior to medical evacuation. The lesson I learned from what seemed like a potentially hopeless situation was that you should never give up, as you still may be able to reach your objective.

When I joined the Organization as Officer-in-Charge of the UN Police (UNPOL) Induction Training in the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), I loved working in a multi-cultural environment with UNPOLs from different countries. My team offered weekly Induction Training for newly arrived officers to familiarize them with the UN system and check-in procedures. The UNPOL senior leadership acknowledged the high standards of professionalism demonstrated by my team, particularly regarding the collaborative training developed for UNPOLs during the 2005 presidential elections.

There are times when you need to find solutions to unforeseen events. Not long after my deployment to UNMIS, I joined the Security Operation Team to provide safety and security during a high-level delegation’s visit to the Sudan. While the group was away on a field trip, the manager of the hotel where they were staying advised our team that a recent occupant in the wing was not part of the delegation and refused to move. This threatened the entire security operation. I persuaded the person to relocate immediately, thereby properly securing the whole wing. Just when you think things are in danger of not turning out the way you planned, a small effort can make a huge difference.