Finance Ministry around the world 10 January 2018 The Finance Ministry at the United Nations in New York The headquarters of the United Nations (UN) is located in New York. The UN s main objectives are peacekeeping, protecting human rights, and promoting international cooperation. Karina Witt has been representing the interests of the Federal Republic of Germany regarding the UN budget since September 2017. istock/fotolia The Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the UN in New York comprises several sections (incuding political and economic affairs sections) and is headed by a Permanent Representative of ambassadorial rank. The Permanent Mission and the German Consulate General are both located in the German House at the UN Plaza in Manhattan. Most staff who work at the Permanent Mission are employed by the Foreign Office, but the Finance Ministry has two permanent positions for Financial Counsellors. They act as delegates to the UN s Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), and represent Germany s fiscal policy interests at the UN. Providing around 6.4% of the regular budget and the budgets for peacekeeping missions, Germany is currently the fourth-largest contributor to the UN. Germany supports an efficient use of UN funds for projects including humanitarian work, development and environmental plans, international courts and peacekeeping missions. Working in the exciting international environment at the UN and living in a fabulous city offers potential candidates a chance to participate in and actively influence budgetary negotiations between the UN s 193 Member States.
Impressions from New York Karina Witt in front of the United Nations Headquarters General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters
After work: sunset over Manhattan UN budget committee meeting
Weekend: bike ride along the Hudson River Manhattan skyline with One World Trade Center
Reception hosted by the Permanent Representation at The Loeb Boathouse, Central Park, on 3 October 2017 Interview with Karina Witt Ms Witt, you are a policy officer of the German Finance Ministry and are currently seconded to the Budgetary Committee of the UN in New York. Could you please briefly outline to us how you came to have this role? I normally work in the Directorate-General for Customs, VAT, and Excise Duties (Directorate-General III), in the division that is responsible for the strategic management of the custom administration s operational functions. My work there covers a broad range of topics. I m a lawyer by training, and worked in the customs administration for two and a half years before moving to the Finance Ministry in 2012. After three and a half years in the Directorate-General for Central Administration, I switched to Directorate-General III in early 2016. In late 2016, policy officers in my division were asked if they were interested in being seconded to the UN for six months. I registered my interest at that time, though I only received a positive reply six months later. Tell us how you came to move from Berlin to the UN in New York. I d been hoping to spend some time working abroad for quite a while. I wanted to broaden my horizons by working in an international environment, and also improve my language skills. Working as a Financial Counsellor in New York is certainly one of the most attractive jobs that the Finance Ministry has to offer! It goes without saying that working at the UN and in New York is a really exciting opportunity. It was something of a dream come true when I was told in May that I was being sent to New York from September 2017 to February 2018. The news came out of the blue, which made me even happier. The application process for the six-month secondment was not at all complicated. Shortly after my head of division gave her approval, I talked to HR. They told me all about the organisational aspects of the secondment and told me whom to get in touch with for further details, for example contacts at the Federal Office of Administration. As I was going to be formally seconded to the Foreign Office during my time at the UN, I was also in contact with the responsible division at the Foreign Office. This was important, since that s where the instructions for my daily work now come from.
Preparing for the secondment was quite a lot of work, especially because of the formalities involved. Luckily, previous Finance Counsellors were able to give me a lot of useful tips about applications and reimbursements. I have diplomatic status for the duration of the secondment, which saved me a lot of time waiting in queues when I arrived in the U.S.. Where do you live in New York? Was it difficult to find accommodation? You are not provided with a flat during the secondment, so you do have to be very proactive in looking for accommodation. But I was given the contact details for estate agents whose work my colleagues had been happy with. I had done some preliminary internet research while I was still in Germany, just to have a rough idea of what was available. Furnished accommodation is extremely expensive in New York, it really doesn t compare with the prices in Berlin! I was lucky though, and with the help of an estate agent, I was able to secure a flat that I d already set my heart on when I was flat-hunting from Germany. It s in the Financial District in the south of Manhattan. It offers a breakthtaking view of One World Trade Center and uptown Manhattan from the 50th floor, and out over the Hudson and the East River. Tenants have access to the roof terrace and I ve spent some lovely evenings there. Wall Street and Battery Park City are nearby, too. I regularly go out exploring on a second-hand bike that I bought here. Riding a bike in New York s busy traffic is quite dangerous, but there are some good bicycle routes, particularly along the Hudson River. How do you generally spend your days? I am always struck by the marvellous sunrises over the East River when the weather is fine. What a way to start the day! The ride to work in the crowded subway is a whole lot less pleasant. It takes me about half an hour to get to the Permanent Mission at UN Plaza. I start my working day by taking a look at the schedule for the Fifth Committee. At the moment, the main session of regular UN budgetary discussions involves daily meetings which are often rescheduled at short notice. A circle of like-minded Member States regularly meet in the mornings at one of their Permanent Missions in order to develop joint negotiating positions for Committee meetings. Most of my colleagues here work for the Foreign Office, though some also work for the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. We hold regular discussions with German colleagues who are seconded to other UN Committees about issues that are important for Germany, and also help them prepare for their Committee meetings. Given that the Fifth Committee is guided by the principle of unanimity, negotiations between the 193 Member States are often long-winded. In December and especially shortly before Christmas, when the pressure to reach an agreement tends to be particularly high negotiations can go on into the night and weekends. Draft resolutions then need to be drawn up at short notice, and agreed with the German Foreign Office. On some evenings, there are receptions in the consulates which offer excellent networking opportunities. This is also where discussions about positions often take place and where negotiating lines on individual committee topics are agreed. Luckily, I usually have enough time to explore the city and attend cultural events at the weekends and in the evenings. With the huge range of concerts, musicals, exhibitions and sporting events on offer, I often have a hard time chosing what to do, though my personal favourite so far is Carnegie Hall, with its wonderful atmosphere and acoustics. And of course I also spend a lot of my evenings with friends, colleagues or family members who are taking the opportunity to visit me in New York. Tell us about a professional highlight during your time working at the UN. My highlight has got to be the week of the General Assembly in late September, where I had the privilege of being present for some of the speeches of the Heads of State and Government. This was an extremely busy time for all of the city s Permanent Missions, not only the German Mission, as everyone was making preparations and organising side events for the visiting Heads of State. I also have pleasant memories of the reception held by the German Permanent Mission at a boathouse restaurant right in the middle of Central Park on 3 October, the Day of German Unity. When will your time in New York come to an end, and what do you plan on doing afterwards?
I m staying in New York until the end of February 2018, so I ll be here for the conclusion of the regular UN budget negotiations. Afterwards, the plan is for me to return to the division in the Directorate-General for Customs where I worked before leaving. My colleagues there take a lively interest in my stay here and we communicate regularly via WhatsApp and e-mail. In all honesty, which city do you prefer: New York or Berlin? That s hard to say! Although New York is so fascinating, and rich in its diversity, it also has downsides, like the permanent noise, the hectic pace of life, and the dirt. So in the long-term, I have to say that I feel more at home in Berlin. More on this topic Finance Ministry around the world The German G20 presidency United Nations