I am very happy to be here, as it is a very satisfying job to serve the world for peace and security. It is up to the individual to find out what they can do more to help others and this is the area for me, since I have always been interested in people. To be a Security Officer in the United Nations gave me this opportunity.

How did you get this job?

I was a Vatican Swiss Guard in Rome when I was much younger. This gave me the magic about life and through this job I started getting interested by people. I try to make things simple since everything is complicated in today’s world. Many things are possible if one sets an example. After this experience, one day I came to visit the Palais des Nations. I was surprised by the number of people from all over the world and that made me decide to join the United Nations.

How long have you been a Security Officer? For 22 years and this period has been very satisfactory in terms of meeting the challenge of the job which is sometimes difficult. “La sufferance porte la maturité”.

What does it involve to be a Security Officer of the United Nations Office at Geneva, which is the largest conference centre and where official visits of personalities (Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Heads of States, Prime Ministers, etc.) take place every year? First, to be a Security Officer in Geneva, you must be the “Carte de visite” of the United Nations. One must be polite, understand people and take firm decisions, which are very important as Geneva hosts important conferences. A Security Officer must project the idea of peace in the world. The delegates must feel free and protected; this way they can make better decisions with- out worrying about security.

Have you been stationed as a UN Security Officer at other duty stations?

Yes. I was in New York for the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the United Nations. I was twice in Iraq in 1991, with the Peace Keeping Mission, and in 1993 I was in Vienna for the World Human Rights Conference.

What are the requirements to be a good effective Security Officer? First of all he/she must understand what type of people a Security Officer serves. Because this is not a type of public job but rather it is a type of job to listen to people from all over the world from the smallest to the biggest, and one should have one’s ear open and learn a lot. We have to always listen, analyse the case and then take action. Someone who would like to have a job as Security Officer in the UN must have these qualities.

What are the responsibilities?

The responsibility is that the whole United Nations area should be peaceful and quiet. If something unusual happens in the compound, the Security Officer must be present immediately and look for a solution to assist to and solve the problems. For all the special things, which require special attention, special measures are put in place. This it is the responsibility of the whole Security Team and this has to be done in a team spirit

What is the stress level? Is there a stress management programme?

The level of the stress of the job is very high, as today we need to do things in a very quick way to satisfy people. Sometimes, it is complicated because there are several instructions from different areas. Therefore, the level of stress could be sometimes very high. Everybody talks about stress management programmes but it is not easy to find a solution. This is because people have no patience and they don’t want to wait.

How many people are working under your direct supervision? This depends on the situation. It could be between 8 to 15, depending on the requirements for security.

You are aware that a number of our colleagues are called upon to carry out urgent missions to dangerous areas and several have lost their lives while on duty. Do you think that this danger could be minimized if more training is given to Security Officers at the different duty stations? I think we have very good specialized and capable people all over the world. They are at times in very dangerous situations. They do that to protect people and serve the Untied Nations. Therefore, it is also a question of educating people that the UN missions are there for the safety of the people and the countries they are in. Therefore, it is not enough to train only the Security Officers.

Is there a systematic training programme designed for Security Officers? If so, what type and how often are they provided? A Security Officer, before joining the UN, must be trained as a Police, or a Professional Army or Professional Security person. Then, when a new Security Officer joins the UN, the UN Security Programme trains him. This training programme is a continuous process depending on the need and the place.

From your long time experience as a Security Officer at the Vatican as well as at the different United Nations offices, what advice would you like to give to other Security Officers? The job of a Security Officer, especially in this age and time, should be taken very seriously. About 30 years ago, we had respect for each other – the public and the security officers. At present, people’s reactions are not always polite. They want to reach their destination without being stopped and questioned. Therefore, the Security Officers have to continue and believe in their jobs.

You are a Swiss national. How does it feel to have your national flag raised on 12 of September as one of the international communities flag?

I was very proud. For me it was a wonderful day to raise Swiss flag (I am the one who put it up on the stand). As I was doing that, I felt the power in the flag as the Swiss flag has been waiting for so many years to be put up. With all the good contributions that the Swiss government was making to the world, our flag was missing. I was happy to see my national flag among other flags floating by the wind. It gives the impression that the whole world is now moving together and that Switzerland is part of it.

Do you have any messages to the public, to the staff and others who visit the Palais des Nations?

I would like to thank the staff of the Palais des Nations and others who are showing their badges as required at the gate. This helps themselves, the Security Officers and those driving behind them.

Interview by Seble Demeke, UNOG.