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Information and Media Division, United Nations Department of Global Communications
Director - Interview with Jiang Hua
Jiang Hua, Director of the Information and Media Department of the United Nations Department of Global Communications, tells the story of 20 unforgettable journeys00:0014:54
The United Nations has many legendary and experienced figures, including a woman who has witnessed the independence of three countries, served as a spokesperson for two Nobel Peace Prize winners, was the first Chinese female press spokesperson of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and has also rubbed shoulders with death several times in the peacekeeping mission area, contributing to the cause of United Nations peacekeeping as a battlefield rose.
She is Jiang Hua, Director of the Information and Media Department of the United Nations Department of Global Communications.
As she was about to retire, we conducted an exclusive interview with her about her unforgettable journey through the United Nations for nearly 20 years.
#1
Spokesman for nobel peace prize laureates
On 1 April 2002, a new face emerged in the Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General of the United Nations. This elegant oriental lady is Jiang Hua, who has just been selected as the deputy spokesperson of the secretary-general through a rigorous interview process.
From that day on, the media veteran, who had worked for the BBC, switched "runways" and began "bowing" to the United Nations, the world's most important international intergovernmental organization.
Jiang Hua has served as a spokesperson for two Nobel Peace Prize laureates. One is former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the other is Marti Ahtisaari, former President of Finland and United Nations Special Envoy for Negotiations on Kosovo.
Recalling her experience as a spokesperson for Annan, Jiang Hua said that Annan would express his approval of her work in small details, rather than words.
© UN Press Photo | Jiang Hua, then Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, held a noon press conference on October 18, 2002
Jiang Hua: "I once went on a trip with Annan, and at that time we flew for more than 10 hours, making a transfer at a small airport. At that time, unlike now, everyone had a mobile phone, and they could immediately get all kinds of information, and for more than 10 hours Annan did not have any news, and he did not know what was happening internationally during these 10 hours.
My task is to use all means to provide him with the latest development information in a timely manner. I couldn't find a computer at the airport, so I couldn't get any news from the computer.
© Nobel Foundation Photo | On 12 October 2001, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that the United Nations and Un-Secretary-General Kofi Annan would share the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize
I told the person in charge of the airport reception that I had to buy a newspaper, and it was a newspaper with international news. We were in the lounge at the time. He said, I took you to the public gate to see if there were some newsstands, and finally found a newsstand there, I bought two newspapers, and then ran back to the airport to hand the newspaper to Annan, and he said thank you softly.
I saw that he kept holding this newspaper from the moment he sat down, and he didn't let go until he boarded the plane and got on the plane, and he still held it, and I knew that he was using this action to show that you had done a very useful job. ”
Jiang Hua recalled that during her work with some UN envoys, she saw their charm on the international stage.
They can shake hands and laugh, or they can be sharp and aggressive, but when the negotiations reach an impasse, they can deal with it calmly without changing their faces.
Former Finnish President Ahtisaari is one such experienced and battle-hardened negotiator. He has been involved in negotiations on many difficult issues in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
© Nobel Foundation Photo | Ahtisaari was awarded the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his important contribution to the resolution of international conflicts
Jiang Hua: "For example, in the process of negotiations on the Kosovo issue, there were a few times when we felt that we could not continue talking at all, and the other side did not seem to have any sincerity and did not want to participate. This makes me a little flustered, if these people do not participate, international public opinion will condemn the whole negotiation as a failure.
But Ahtisaari was particularly sure in his heart, very city government, he was very calm in this situation, told everyone not to panic, first find out how to solve the crisis, and as a result, every time we were safely through the crisis. ”
#2
Eat a trench, grow a wisdom
Jiang Hua needs to constantly accompany the secretary-general on his visits in his work. A mistake made during his first trip with Secretary-General Annan is still fresh in her memory.
© UN Press Photo | Jiang Hua and former UN Secretary-General Annan at a press conference on the situation in Liberia
Jiang Hua: "Just a month after I arrived at the United Nations, I decided to send me to accompany Secretary General Annan on a visit to 4 countries. Working at the United Nations, I didn't have time to sit down and train you well, step by step to tell you what to do, so I was particularly worried about it at that time, and it turned out to be a mistake.
We went to a country where Secretary-General Annan and the President of that country were going to hold a joint press conference, and the President's spokesman told me that the President and Secretary-General Annan were going to take some questions from reporters after their opening remarks. I told Secretary-General Annan that there might be questions after your opening remarks.
After the president and Annan finished talking, Annan stood there waiting for the reporter's question, and as soon as the president turned away, the situation was very embarrassing. Then Annan called me to his side and said that the president would never take questions from any reporter, so why did you tell me he was going to take questions from reporters? ”
Of course I could justify myself by saying that his spokesperson told me it might be, but I think the best thing to do in this situation is to take responsibility. So I told him I had learned my lesson and wouldn't next time.
#3
Sonorous roses in the peacekeeping mission area
In October 2004, Jiang Hua left the Office of the Secretary-General's Spokesperson for a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo to serve as a field spokesman for peacekeeping missions. Since then, she has worked in a number of mission areas, including political and peacekeeping missions.
She confessed that there were unimaginable challenges in the mission area, the greatest of which was to actively convey the right message of the United Nations to the outside world.
Jiang Hua: "The challenges at work have an internal and external one. The internal is the relationship between you and your number one as a spokesperson, the person who is mainly responsible for publicizing the external public information ( very importantly ) . As a spokesperson, you must understand some of the ideas and strategies of the number one.
Another challenge is that some responsible persons will refuse to go thousands of miles away when they see the media, and some people who see the media see a video recorder and are eager to rush over immediately. Such a case would necessitate so-called "family rules", such as the need for the leader of the mission area to be interviewed regularly by the media, whether he liked it or not, because one of his responsibilities was to publicize the work of the United Nations.
Secondly, sometimes many people in the mission area tell the media all kinds of things and send out all kinds of different messages, and confusion of information can cause certain difficulties in the work of the United Nations. Therefore, the second rule of the family is that anything like a huge policy change, a strategic change, can only be announced by two people, one is the first leader in the war zone, and the second is the spokesman. ”
© Jiang Hua Picture | In July 2011, Jiang Hua attended the founding ceremony of South Sudan
#4
Passing by the Grim Reaper
Peacekeepers, police and civilian personnel working in United Nations mission areas may face security challenges at any time. Jiang Hua said that at the wrong time and in the wrong place, you may encounter some life dangers.
Jiang Hua: "When I was in Kosovo, I once met an acquaintance on the way home, so I stopped and said hello to him. While we were talking, a grenade exploded in front of me, and if this man hadn't met me on the road and talked to me there, I might have been shot. So I think it's really a matter of picking up a life. ”
In addition to Kosovo's passing shoulders with death, a flight in South Sudan can also be said to be a "dead escape".
Jiang Hua: "In South Sudan, we decided to accompany the second in command of the UN mission to a place called Wau to inspect the work. Everyone laughed and got on the plane and began to take off. At this time we suddenly heard a loud noise, looking to the side, the small aircraft only has two engines, one engine has caught fire, at this time the pilot is in a hurry, immediately lowered the nose, and when our plane stopped, it basically ran out of the runway. ”
I sometimes joke with friends that I was probably a cat in my past life, and the cat had 9 lives, and I have probably lost 7 lives over the years, so now I only have two lives left, so I have to protect it.
#5
Tough years
© Jiang Hua Picture | In 2005, Jiang Hua (center in the back row) accompanied the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Kosovo Affairs to answer reporters' questions
Jiang Hua told us that the experience of power outages while working in the Kosovo mission area made her unforgettable.
Jiang Hua: "At that time, Kosovo's power supply was a big problem, basically 5 hours without electricity, 1 hour with electricity. No electricity is a problem, because in winter it sometimes reaches minus 20 degrees, which is very cold. What to do? Only add a quilt, but no matter how thick the quilt is, it is difficult to resist the cold winter.
So the lady at one of the restaurants where I often went to dinner at that time gave me an electric mattress, but said that she did not guarantee that the electric mattress would not run electricity. I thought that this was the only choice, either electrocuted or frozen, and finally felt that electrocution might be faster. When you use an electric mattress, it will heat up a little when it calls. Of course, it will be cold when there is no electricity, but at least it will feel some warmth when the call comes. ”
Jiang Hua said that these arduous experiences had a very big impact on her later life. Under no circumstances, she said, take for granted anything, especially what we take for granted. She also expressed her sincere admiration for those who had worked tirelessly and served in the mission area for life.
#6
Highlight moments
Jiang Hua said that in the many years she has worked at the United Nations, she is proud to have witnessed the independence of three countries: East Timor, Kosovo* and South Sudan.
Jiang Hua: "At the beginning, it was East Timor, I accompanied Secretary General Annan to East Timor to participate in the independence ceremony of East Timor, after which I personally participated in the independent operation of two other countries, one is Kosovo. I was there for more than two years at the time in Kosovo.
© UN Photo | In December 2012, the United Nations Integrated Mission formally transferred policing responsibility to the National Police of Timor-Leste
In 2005, the Secretary-General proposed that the time had come to decide on the final status of Kosovo, so he proposed the establishment of an office devoted to the future status of Kosovo.
In early 2006, I was transferred to the office to work on public information and to serve as a spokesperson. After a year of hard work, we have had about 15 rounds of negotiations that have resulted in a proposal on the final status of Kosovo.
Throughout the process, I accompanied the head of the Kosovo status negotiations, visited almost every country in the European Union, and also visited 4 of the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council. In China, I went into Zhongnanhai for the first time, where I met with senior Chinese officials.
At this point I would like to state that Kosovo's last independence was not recognized by all States, and that there are now about 100 countries that recognize its independence, but it is not yet a member of the United Nations. ”
© Jiang Hua Picture | In 2006, Jiang Hua briefed Chinese diplomats on the kosovo status negotiation process in Zhongnanhai, with former Finnish President Ahtisaari on his left
South Sudan became the world's youngest country and the 193rd member of the United Nations by referendum in July 2011. Jiang Hua not only witnessed this history, but also completed a major challenge.
Jiang Hua: "I went to Sudan in 2010, and according to the UN resolution, in 2011 there was a referendum to decide whether South Sudan should remain in Sudan or break away from Sudan to establish its own country, at which time I went to the UN Mission in Sudan to help with external publicity and also act as a spokesperson for the mission.
© UN Press Photo | In July 2011, the property of South Sudanese awaiting return to their homes after independence
During this period, I think one of the biggest challenges of the work is how to ensure that no one will die and no riots will occur during the whole process. At that time, all the staff and our leaders certainly did their best, and the result was really that there were no dead people and no riots during the referendum. ”
*Note: Kosovo's independence is not recognized by all states, and there are now about 100 countries that recognize its independence, but it is not yet a member of the United Nations.
#7
Plans after retirement
Jiang Hua is a "desperate sanlang" at work, and she jokes that she is also very desperate to play.
She set herself a goal when she was younger, to learn something new every year if conditions permitted, and it was basically related to sports. She enjoys skiing, horseback riding, diving, and all sorts of ball games. In addition, there are a wide range of hobbies in literature and art, such as opera, music, film, drama and so on.
© Jiang Hua Picture | In 2019, Jiang Hua was in Green Mountain Forest National Park, a famous ski resort in Vermont, USA
As she nears the end of her nearly 20-year career at the United Nations, Jiang Hua said her biggest dream after retirement is to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak.
Jiang Hua: "I do have a dream, I have said several times in the past few years, I want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, I have even discussed with a few friends which line to go from and when to go, but it has not been done for different reasons."
I don't know if I can adapt physically, but it is indeed an unfinished wish that has always been in my mind. I think climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is probably a good summary of life. ”
About Ms. Jiang Hua
Ms. Jiang Joined the United Nations in 2002 as Deputy Spokesperson for Then Secretary-General Annan and joined the United Nations Mission in Kosovo in 2004 as Chief of public information. In 2008, Jiang Hua returned to UN Headquarters to take charge of media services, responsible for UN and media relations, media oversight and UN press releases.
She also served as a senior media adviser in the Office of the United Nations Special Envoy for Myanmar, a peacekeeping mission in Sudan in 2010, South Sudan in 2011, and a senior communications adviser in Libya for four months in 2011. Prior to joining the United Nations, Jiang Hua served as news editor for the BBC World Service.