Services

Engineering unit : the new intake

Emmanuelle GANTET, ONUG

In 2004 the Engineering Unit acquired three new members, an administrative clerk, an electrician and a new Chief of the Operators and Radio Electricians Sub-Unit.

Dominique Christol, with 12 years of experience in a variety of administrative posts in the United Nations, was appointed administrative clerk in the Engineering Unit in July 2004. All the Unit’s orders - worth around SwF 8 million a year - go through him: he determines what funds are required, monitors the purchasing procedures and checks the invoices and payments, keeping to all relevant accounting, administrative and financial standards. His familiarity with IMIS has proved very useful in this post, as have his meticulous approach and his highly-developed organizational and communication skills, and he appreciates the independence the job allows and the «small-business» feel of the Unit. Only one aspect to improve: there are no female electricians or mechanics.

Pascal Bertrand is 28 and enjoys working in a unit where such a wholesome, friendly spirit prevails. He previously worked in Geneva for 10 years, as a fitter with one of the city’s biggest electrical installation firms. His skills in that field were enhanced by his exposure to many special technical projects and his experience on major sites such as the UEFA building, the new Rolex company headquarters and the new World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) building. His professionalism and natural good humour have helped him settle quickly into the Palais’s eight-strong electricians’ unit. He particularly appreciates being part of a multicultural institution. «The month I started, July 2004, the meetings on indigenous people were taking place and their delegations were here in traditional costume. Quite marvellous!»

Jean-Robert Schnyder worked for many years for one of the world leaders in simultaneous interpretation, providing a wide range of services to meeting and conference organizers, and not just simultaneous interpretation systems but also audio-visual equipment.
He joined the UNOG Engineering Unit in August 2004 and hopes his new team and customers will be able to make use of his experience of conference-equipment services and of the market. His new customers, though all internal to UNOG, have turned out to be no less demanding, indeed possibly more so, than the external customers he used to supply. He finds this demand for quality services, along with the current and upcoming plans to modernize the Palais meeting rooms, particularly stimulating. With 17 people in the Operators and Radio Electricians Sub-Unit, the human element of the work is also interesting.
Jean-Robert sees serving the United Nations and «helping nations to communicate on sensitive issues» as his contribution to a fine and noble cause. He has every confidence in the future of the United Nations: the world changes and the United Nations changes with it.