DIGITAL EDITION SERVING THE PEOPLE OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN GENEVA SINCE 1949PRINT & newSpecial Towards a better normal 802– SEPT 2020 BETTER NEW NORMAL GENEVA CITIES HUB Suivez-nous sur: PANDEMIC RETOUR AUX SOURCES Opportunities and Entretien avec Sami The faces of Souvenirs de l'école Challenges – p. 5 Kanaan, Maire de new.special COVID-19 response – p. 35 Genève – p. 12 www. – p. 24-27 newspecial.org Thinksafer,BETTER, longerliving. insurance for Supplemental health staff members UN, ILO and WHO www.gpafi.org www.uniqa.ch Werbung 93_20_Ins_Denk_sicher_besser_laenger_leben_210x285abf.indd 1 14.01.20 16:42 DIGITAL EDITION SERVING THE PEOPLE OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN GENEVA SINCE 1949PRINT & newSpecial Towards a better normal 802– SEPT 2020 BETTER NEW NORMAL GENEVA CITIES HUB Suivez-nous sur: PANDEMIC RETOUR AUX SOURCES Opportunities and Entretien avec Sami The faces of Souvenirs de l'école Challenges – p. 5 Kanaan, Maire de new.special COVID-19 response – p. 35 Genève – p. 12 www. – p. 25-26 newspecial.org © Olivier Chamard © Olivier INTERIM EDITORIAL COMMITTEE COMITÉ DE RÉDACTION INTÉRIMAIRE Towards a better normal Vers une nouvelle normalité It is now mid-September and we are brac- Mi-septembre : nous nous préparons à ing for the rest of a year that continues to continuer cette année marquée par la pan- be characterised by the pandemic. Schools démie. Les restrictions ont été assouplies are reopening and new ways of working au niveau mondial, les écoles rouvrent et de are being implemented as restrictions are nouvelles méthodes de travail sont appa- being eased around the globe. rues. Le terme « nouvelle normalité » a été utilisé en référence principalement à l’uti- The term “new normal” has been used a lot lisation de masques faciaux et à d’autres to define this, mainly referring to the use mesures de distanciations physiques. EDITORIAL / ÉDITORIAL 3 of face masks and other physical distanc- ing measures in place. As United Nations En tant que personnel des agences des FEATURED / À LA UNE agency staff working in Geneva, it is our Nations Unies travaillant à Genève, il est de Opportunities and challenges working collective responsibility to not only adopt notre responsabilité collective d’appliquer under the “new normal” 5 a “new normal” but strive for a better one. non seulement cette « nouvelle normalité » Rencontre avec le professeur mais aussi d’être encore plus exigeants Jérôme Pugin aux services des soins The pandemic has exposed the limits of en allant au delà. La pandémie a révélé intensifs des HUG 8 the social, political and economic models les limites des modèles sociaux, politiques Entretien avec Sami Kanaan, that dominated before the outbreak. Many et économiques qui prédominaient avant Maire de Genève 12 had previously considered it unfathomable l’épidémie. Rediscovering e-learning 18 that entire organizations could function The future of work is well fully with their employees almost exclu- Beaucoup n’avaient pas réalisé que des on its way 21 sively working from home. Now, working organisations entières pourraient fonc- remotely is set to be a bigger part of the tionner pleinement avec des employés INTERNATIONAL GENEVA / future in certain sectors. The pandemic qui travaillent presque exclusivement à GENÈVE INTERNATIONALE has also exposed vulnerabilities, something domicile. Désormais, le travail à distance Unusual Fun – we knew well as the multilateral system is est appelé à devenir une réalité d’avenir Responsible COVID Style 22 always called upon to assist with easing dans certains secteurs. La pandémie a Finland, Norway, and Sweden lead hardship. The world needs to start plan- également révélé des vulnérabilités. Nous the world in 2020 Empowered People ning for the long term instead of focusing les percevions déjà au travers du système Index ranking 26 on immediate, short-lived successes. multilatéral ,dont la mission est de contri- Meet Florence 29 buer à atténuer les difficultés. Le monde Le professeur Pugin et Cuba 32 Stories in this issue express various views doit commencer à planifier à long terme on how this change can and should be au lieu de se concentrer sur des succès Retour aux sources et plaidoyer pour l’enseignement 34 made. n immédiats et de courte durée. SwissYou : Une application pour les À cet égard, les articles que vous pour- internationaux et les locaux à Genève 36 rez lire dans ce numéro vous apporteront Unanswered questions différents points de vue et expertises sur and Hesse’s advice 38 la façon dont ce changement peut être Alfred’s new epigrams 39 accompli. n ART & CULTURE La guerre et l’amour au XXIe siècle 40 Art impact for health in Peru 42 Serving the people of international Au service du personnel des organisations NAMIBIE 3/4 Rencontres d’exception 44 organizations in Geneva since 1949 internationales de Genève depuis 1949 newSpecial – September 2020 | 3 FEATURED / À LA UNE Opportunities and challenges working under the “new normal” With the rapid emergence of COVID-19, UN organizations in Geneva had to make quick decisions. BARBARA ZOLTY, WHO interviews were conducted Ms Casalis also points out that With the rapid emergence of with a number of WHO staff, “this is new for all of us. Staff COVID-19, UN organizations combined with more structured counsellors have been impacted in Geneva had to make quick questions posed to several key along with everyone else and decisions on how to ensure individuals including Nathalie we also are adjusting to a new the continuity of work while Casalis, WHO Staff Counsel- way of working. Most of us keeping staff safe. At the World lor, Catherine Kirorei Corsini, are still working at home and Health Organization (WHO), president of the WHO Staff despite the increased workload, measures including telework- Association, and Evelyn Kor- we are doing our best to learn ing were instituted from the tum, General Secretary, FICSA.1 from each other so that we can start, and once some of the Some key issues were identified better support staff”. The UN initial technical and procedural that are summarized below. staff counsellors have created a challenges were overcome, the virtual network to support each majority of staff began to adapt Everyone’s experience other, exchange information to this new way of working. As in coping during COVID-19 and share resources that can of August 2020, it is clear that has been different be adapted according to the COVID-19 will be with us for Nathalie Casalis explains that needs of each agency. some time. Although WHO has while some staff are very con- implemented a phased return- tent to continue teleworking She reiterates that, “especially to-work, the situation is still and finding that their pro- in these challenging times, evolving and it is important ductivity levels have actually there is nothing wrong in to consider some of the key increased, other staff who live asking for help, and the staff issues related to the challenges, alone are experiencing feelings counsellors are working hard opportunities, and initial les- of isolation. Many staff strug- to develop new mechanisms to sons learned from this new gle to balance work and family make it easier for staff to reach way of working so that bet- time, which is complicated by out and to get the support they ter-informed decisions can be the need to take care of young need”. Evelyn Kortum provided made as we move forward. children. For single parents, the the broader experience of staff For this article, informal challenges can be enormous. in UN agencies adding that “we newSpecial – September 2020 | 5 have seen different reactions to “A lot of staff reported being so that meetings can be sched- single parents, others have the exceptional circumstances close to burn out because of uled efficiently, with flexibility certain health conditions, etc. we suddenly found ourselves working non-stop, with some incorporated where possible. Therefore, when managers in. It seems the majority are staff working longs hours into discuss working arrangements coping well, but some are the night and others working Helping managers better sup- with staff, they should ensure overburdened (caring for small without any breaks, even for port their staff that they take these factors into children, home schooling, etc.). lunch. Although the situation These interviews also found consideration so that that the Some are fearful of contracting has improved, there are still that most managers at WHO best decisions can be made to the virus. Those that come out staff who have yet to find that are not accustomed to man- determine the most effective strong probably had good social balance”. aging remote teams and may arrangements”. support. Overall, the work has be in need of practical train- not really suffered, and some This situation is often accen- ing in this area. This includes It will take skilled managers staff were more productive due tuated by lack of clear guid- aspects of flexible working to ensure trusting, flexible, to less disturbances. Online ance from managers, who may arrangements and helping inclusive and productive work meetings remain a challenge, themselves be working 24/7. In staff ensure proper work/life environments in ’the new nor- but we are adapting well. This many situations, staff receive balance. The situation is more mal’. As Evelyn Kortum adds, is like evolution in real time in emails or WhatsApp mes- complicated now, with a mix of “This new way of working will these historic times. 2020 will sages from their manager at staff returning to office while require a lot from managers be remembered as a very spe- midnight and feel compelled others continue teleworking, who prefer to have more con- cial year that turned the world to respond. Although this or a mix of the two.