I joined the United Nations with an extensive background in communications from the private and public sector in my home country of Haiti. I later served there as a National Information and Press Officer with the United Nations Development Programme and in that capacity, I helped produce a radio and TV documentary for the Caribbean region on the first democratic elections in Haiti in 1990. Thereafter, I held various Information Officer roles with the Department of Public Information (DPI) in New York including in the Office of the Spokesperson of the Secretary-General and in the Strategic Communications Division working on global communications campaigns.

In my current role as Chief, Communications and Public Information Office with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, I lead and support the team by shaping the corporate message of the Mission at the strategic level. It is vital to ensure that our video, radio, photo, and multimedia outputs are aligned effectively so that we speak with one voice. My overarching objective is to distill the Mission’s vision into communicable activities that are meaningful for the people we are there to serve, from government representatives to civil society groups, as well as our broader global audience.

Previously, as Chief, Communications Section with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva our 20th anniversary campaign was a very memorable time for me. A key objective was to capture the essence of how Human Rights were relevant for our target audiences’ everyday lives, using the slogan “20 years working for your rights”. This was a perfect opportunity to fully apply my strategic communications campaign experience from my time with DPI. We created a heavy social media presence that reached over 25 million people worldwide with the hashtag #UNRightsat20.

Prior to this, I had the privilege of joining UN Women just as this new organization was being created. I was responsible for civil society issues, and a key task was the need to create a “blueprint” for how the Agency was to interact with this pillar, which was crucial to women’s empowerment. The creation of a Civil Society Advisory Board for UN Women was one of my proudest achievements. This was a groundbreaking initiative as typically representation at this level was government, rather than civil society-led. Enabling women to participate in this kind of decision-making body ensured that it would have a meaningful impact on the ground.

I proudly recall a major career milestone from 2003, which was when I left Headquarters after 10 years to return to the field for the first time since my early days in Haiti. It was thrilling to be in a position to apply what I had learned at Headquarters, where I had acquired a global perspective of how policy is shaped at the corporate level. This enabled me to leverage my work in the field so that I could take the most effective possible decisions and consequently work with my target audiences much more effectively.

During my time with the Spokesman’s Office of the Secretary-General, my focus centred on humanitarian and peacekeeping issues. Given my previous experience in DPI on strategic communications campaigns with a focus on development issues, this fresh perspective enabled me to approach my work from a more rounded, holistic viewpoint.

As a Junior Information Officer in DPI working for the 50th anniversary of the Organization, a project I undertook with much pride was producing an audio compilation containing excerpts of every Secretary-General’s major speeches, in order to illustrate their vision in the pursuit of peace.

I have had tremendous variety in all the roles and places I have served during my career with the Organization. One of the best things about my work is that I get to bring the story of the United Nations to the world. No matter how big or small the issue of the day may appear to be, making the Organization’s actions real and relevant in people’s lives is deeply fulfilling.