DGACM provides technical secretariat support and advice to intergovernmental bodies Multilingualism is a core value of the United Nations upheld in the deliberations of the General Assembly and other bodies through the simultaneous interpretation of proceedings and the translation of documentation into all six official languages When the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly curtailed on-site activities at Headquarters and other UN premises the translation services of the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM) transitioned to remote working almost seamlessly continuing without interruption their important role as guarantors of multilingualism “Several factors enabled us to transition so easily not least our commitment to remaining at the forefront of language technologies and developing in-house our own suite of high-performance web-based tools,” says Oxana Sobkovich from the Russian Translation Service,  “DGACM had already implemented a fully electronic workflow and built a set of sophisticated computer-assisted translation and editing applications to support the production of multilingual documentation we had just reorganized all the translation services’ online resource libraries at the end of 2019 and started working with Sharepoint and Teams Although the current working conditions are far from ideal and pale in comparison with our normal operations we were able to adapt to the challenging circumstances and operate in crisis mode since mid-March”.  Even strategic activities such as recruitment had already shifted to the remote environment before the pandemic The translation services held the first part of their sixth fully remote online competitive examination on 7 July with over 1,400 test takers.  The Documentation Division (DD) also launched which contains over 500 learning activities created by translation and editing staff in DD for their colleagues The project will be extended to other areas of DGACM and duty stations in the next phase.    editing and terminology tools have proved invaluable so much so that other departments and even other UN entities have asked to use them staff from the Department of Global Communications as well as interpreters and verbatim reporters from  the Meetings and Publishing Division (who were pitching in to help with the heavy workload in DD) and that same month the World Health Organization became the latest organization to join the family of UN entities that have adopted eLUNa and UNTERM as their translation and terminology solutions.    This does not mean it was all plain sailing the vast majority of DD staff used their own computers to deliver their work but several staff members did not have the equipment they needed to work from home Laptops and monitors were quickly secured from limited supplies and in a show of solidarity and team spirit typical of DD staff colleagues loaned spare laptops to one another to fill the gap Staff who were assigned laptops by OICT had to then make their way to the Secretariat Building to collect them at scheduled times for health and safety reasons this meant several hours of walking to avoid the subway at the height of the pandemic The necessary software applications were then installed remotely with the Business Analysis Section of DGACM and OICT support "I'm really grateful for the help in installing macros remotely; it was a life-saver," said Carla Mavrodin of the English Text-Processing Unit.   The challenges did not end with the procurement of basic equipment Editing and translation are highly intellectual activities and require working in an environment conducive to extended hours of uninterrupted concentration in front of a computer screen.  Few staff have suitable workspaces at home Most live in typical New York apartments which are very small compared to apartments in other cities “At first I was mostly doing my work on a laptop sitting on the couch; but my back and neck really began to suffer I now try to change position several times a day and move from the couch but it is far from ideal,” said Tala Zgheib of the Arabic Translation Service “I really miss my two large monitors,” added Heng Tan “I find having to click between different tabs to view my resources instead of viewing them on another screen really slows me down Formatting complex charts and graphs and proofreading a large budget document on a small screen is also much less efficient; I have to scroll up and down zoom in and out far more often to read the segment in context.  It strains the eyes Finding sufficient quiet time was a challenge for many sharing a workspace with a spouse whose job involved a lot of time in video or phone calls was a major source of stress; for others it was combining teleworking with what was effectively home schooling.  and having to supervise the remote learning and after-school care of a highly active 7-year old and an 11-year old meant that the interruptions were constant and I kept having to reread what I had just written and pick up my train of thought again or put off my own work until nighttime,” said Olga Begisheva of the Russian Translation Service.  “My two teenagers had a hard time adjusting to remote learning I was getting phone calls and emails from their teachers almost weekly about their drop in performance It was a real struggle having to check up that they were doing their school work support my husband who had suddenly been left jobless and get my own work done,” added  Karina Tabacinic of the Spanish Translation Service.    Flexibility and compromise and non-standard work schedules seem to have been the best coping mechanism “My ideal plan was to get up very early to try to get the bulk of my work done in the morning so I could use the afternoon for homeschooling house chores and caring for my son; with perhaps an extra hour or two once my son is in bed to complete my working day Distractions and interruptions are continuous during the day which makes me less productive in the hours I assigned to work in the morning which forces me to longer sessions in the evening to complete my daily goals Some weeks have been extremely difficult,” said Guillermo Siminiani also from the Spanish Translation Service.   Despite the turmoil in the personal lives of the editors translators and text-processors have been able to produce the multilingual documentation on which the work of the Organization depends. “I am very proud of the dedication and commitment shown by the staff of DD,” says Cecilia Elizalde “They rose to the challenge and responded with extraordinary team spirit.”   It is that sense of being a member of a team that many DD staff fear losing most if mandatory teleworking is prolonged well into the future “Much as I still get the satisfaction of a job well done and feeling I am contributing to the work of the Organization I realize now that what made my work so rewarding and enriching were the spontaneous interactions with colleagues," says Cheng Bi of the Chinese Translation Service.   “I feel I am coasting in emergency mode – I can keep this up for a certain amount of time and one of the hallmarks of the UN translation services is the constant learning and much of that happens through exchanges of ideas and discussions with colleagues.” said Sandra Linden of the French Text-Processing Unit.   “I think we have succeeded so well during the mandatory teleworking phase because we were strong cohesive teams before the pandemic struck” notes Oleg Chuykov of the Russian Translation Service. “We are all recruited through the same open competitive examination process so we are well positioned to help each other out We are used to consulting one another and have now switched to doing that virtually rather than by knocking on a colleague’s office door.”   That may not be happening as much as when colleagues work together in the same building however.  Even now  that people have figured out how to use the new remote communication tools and who prefers to be contacted by email they tend to be warier of contacting colleagues because they know many are working strange shifts because of the circumstances at home.   some services have organized regular virtual coffee gatherings on Teams and the Division has organized a series of online lectures to replace the ones previously arranged in the Albano building where it is located These have covered a whole range of topics to how COVID-19 case projections are calculated To complement the self-paced learning activities in The SPOT small online discussion groups and workshops have been organized to build skills and increase knowledge transfer build resilience and support one another.  Some wonder how long they can continue operating in emergency mode without their usual working conditions and the regular stimulation and support that the office environment provides Physically distancing is affecting other aspects of work life.  “Many of us are realizing how uplifting our regular contact and informal exchanges with colleagues were – we miss those interactions in the pantry or the corridors and elevators on the way to meetings or training sessions the shared a pot of coffee or the meet-up for lunch,” says Isabelle Delatour “The interaction in a virtual meeting is not just 'not the same' it is 'not as good.' Speakers can’t gauge the mood and conversations become one-sided or stilted have also proved disappointing and been abandoned It is really sad not to be able to give retiring colleagues We are used to coming together at work to mark the special events in our lives As international staff with our families and friends very far away these gatherings are particularly important.” the need to rise to the occasion is motivating and rewarding despite the personal difficulties and even across time zones but I am not sure how long working at this level and at this pace under these conditions is sustainable,” worries Frank Schramm on our ability to deliver high-quality translations on time as the United Nations and the public worldwide deserve And knowing the UN translation services and their capacity for innovation as I do I am sure we will find the ways and means to continue to do that we're not doing this work to make ourselves feel better That sort of conventional notion of what a do-gooder is We're doing this work because we are totally convinced that it's not necessary in today's wealthy world for so many people to be experiencing discomfort for so many people to be experiencing hardship for so many people to have their lives and their livelihoods imperiled.” David Nabarro has dedicated his life to global health After a long career that’s taken him from the horrors of war torn Iraq to the devastating aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami he is still spurred to action by the tremendous inequalities in global access to medical care “The thing that keeps me awake most at night is the rampant inequities in our world…We see an awful lot of needless suffering.” returns to the stage after a long absence during the COVID-19 pandemic It counts 250 children and teenagers from the favela as its performers The ballet group provides social support in a community where poverty hunger and teen pregnancy are constant issues The pandemic has put many people to the test Coronavirus has waged war not only against people's lives and well-being but has also spawned countless hoaxes and scientific falsehoods Japan the K-1 World Grand Prix 2024 Final is scheduled to take place on Dec.14 and multiple additional matches have been added in a recent announcement In the super welterweight division, the Bulgarian powerhouse Stoyan Koprivlenski takes on local favorite and former champion Hiromi Wajima. Koprivlenski is the 2024 K-1 World MAX Championship Tournament Final Champion who will be aiming to solidify his position at the top of the division Akihiro Kaneko will square off against Aslanbek Zikreev Kaneko is coming off a strong performance in the 55kg World Tournament earlier this year and will be looking to continue his winning streak rising star Riamu will face off against the experienced Rui Okubo Okubo is known for his technical game and will be looking to use his experience to overcome the young Riamu The openweight division will feature a battle between Sina Karimian and Shota Yamaguchi. Karimian, a former K-1 Cruiserweight champion, will be eager to bounce back from his recent losses In -71.5kg matchup pits Poland’s Kacper Muszyński against Romania’s Valentin Mavrodin. Both fighters have been making waves in the European kickboxing scene and will be looking to make a statement on the global stage In the super lightweight division Japanese veteran Daizo Sasaki will face Takuma Tsukamoto brings a wealth of experience to this matchup Rounding out the announced bouts is another super bantamweight contest between Momotaro Kiyama and Koji Ikeda The Romanian eco building that was included in the Natural Homes top was built starting from an idea of architect Ileana Mavrodin, a member in the “Green House” project. The project is located in the western part of Romania, on the right shore of Nera river, close to the Banat village Sasca Română. According to the website naturalhomes.org Ileana Mavrodin used eco-friendly technologies to help Romanians rediscover local crafts and the spirit of communion with nature According to the official website of the project, www.casa-verde.ro, it aims to promote “a friendly, more gentle architecture and at the same time, ecological and at the same time a healthy life style, close to nature and respectful with the environment.” straw and sand and the constructions made of this material do not include formwork “cob” is different as it is knead until it reaches the consistence of bread dough; frameworks are not used for construction; organic forms give it an exceptional resilience to earthquakes and other types of shocks;  it is molded by hand each construction being unique and unrepeatable Oana Vasiliu We use cookies for keeping our website reliable and secure providing social media features and to analyse how our website is used Dana Oprisan, 44, has been named executive director of the HR department at Renault Romania, taking over from Radu Mavrodin, who is HR director for the Euromed-Africa region, including Romania. started working for Renault Romania in 2006 She was HR director of the Renault Technologie Roumanie (RTR) when she moved to France to work on a global HR efficiency program She came back one year later as HR deputy executive director of Renault Romania Mavordin said that 17,500 are working for Renault in Romania making it the second largest operation of Renault Group and the first in the Euromed-Africa region Ovidiu Posirca providing social media features and to analyse how our website is used.