Washington, DC, 9 February 2023 – The Spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, was in Washington yesterday for engagements with university students. In the morning, he visited Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. Following an introduction from the School’s Dean, Joel Hellman, Mr. Dujarric shared with the gathered students his frank takes on global politics, which were based on his experiences speaking for and traveling with three different United Nations Secretaries-General. He also answered questions on a wide range of topics, including international diplomacy, Security Council reform, women’s rights and sustainable development.
In the afternoon, Mr. Dujarric headed to Howard University’s Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center. Noting Nobel laureate and United Nations official Ralph Bunche’s global impact, Mr. Dujarric stressed the importance of building links between the United Nations and the center that had been named after Mr. Bunche. He then provided in-depth background on the United Nations and media relations, as well as on his own career path and United Nations employment in general. Students’ questions covered such themes as humanitarian assistance, the United Nations’ interactions with the private sector, political trends in Africa, and what it was like to work for the United Nations Secretariat as opposed to one’s own government.
