The quest for development around the world inspired me to join the United Nations: I wanted answers to why some countries are rich and others are poor, and how I could contribute my expertise in finding strategies to improve people’s lives.

I am a computer engineer by training; I had the tool and was looking for the application to make a difference. I found this with the United Nations thanks to the many career opportunities it offers, and my own quest to acquire knowledge in a variety of areas of development.

My career started in the Department of Management at United Nations Headquarters in New York, via the 2002 round of the National Competitive Recruitment Examination (NCRE). Protecting the United Nations Secretariat’s network from attacks by hackers was a job I really enjoyed. As I got exposed to the many other work areas, however, I was very much attracted to the Organization’s work in development, and found my real passion was in using technology for socio-economic development.

This passion became a reality in 2005 when I had a chance to participate in an internal career-matching exercise introducing NCRE recruits to different career development opportunities. I was fortunate to have found a post in the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok.

Transferring to ESCAP has been a rewarding career experience. The Commission is one of the five United Nations regional commissions and the largest United Nations body serving in the Asia-Pacific region.

It felt great to be part of the ICT Applications Section in the Information, Communication and Space Technology Division. As an Associate Economic Affairs Officer, I enjoyed providing support to small and medium-sized enterprises to improve their productivity by using the website of their business association to sell products abroad. Seeing the results of that work in Hanoi, Viet Nam and in the Yunan Province of China was very pleasing.

I am also particularly pleased of our work in establishing networks of community e-centres, also known as telecentres, in rural and remote communities all over Asia-Pacific. These centres link rural communities to a range of public services to help them solve various problems relating to agricultural production, healthcare and education.

Currently, I serve with the Information and Communications Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction Division. The Asia-Pacific region is very prone to natural disasters that affect thousands of people and cost millions of dollars in damage yearly. I am proud of our work in helping countries to minimize the risk of natural disasters and ultimately save lives and safeguard hard-won development gains.

My day as an Economic Affairs Officer is generally occupied with conducting analysis on how to reduce the risk of water related disasters. I link our work with international mechanisms to provide international support to Member States. In countries like Japan and the Philippines for instance, typhoons are a common occurrence. We assist countries to share resources such as space-based technology to assess their vulnerability.

The range of opportunities I am given to make an impact is very rewarding. Recently, I had a six-month opportunity to work as a Statistician in ESCAP’s Statistics Division. I analyzed the impact of the world economic crisis on the achievements of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the Asia-Pacific region. This analysis was a part of the 2009 regional MDG report. It was a great experience to bring back to my work on disaster risk reduction.

It is unique to be part of an organization engaged in a variety of issues of significant relevance to all.

Before joining the Organization, my career was very different. I managed the technology department of a consultancy firm. Prior to that I worked for five years for the Brazilian Air Force as Lieutenant Engineer connecting Air Force bases throughout Brazil to the Internet. I also taught Computer Sciences.