25 May 2023
Have you ever wondered what it takes to prepare for a visit by the United Nations Secretary General when the Chief Executive Board (CEB) meeting is happening? It takes a village to get things ready, from the different specialized units of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security, several host government security entities including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior to police and medical units; nothing is left to chance.
Recently, the Secretary-General went to Kenya on a three-day official mission that included ceremonial ground-breaking activities at United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) and participation in the Chief Executive Board (CEB) meeting. The CEB is the longest-standing and highest-level coordination forum for the United Nations system, and it comprise the 12 Funds and Programmes, the 15 Specialized Agencies and three related organizations under the chairmanship of the Secretary General. Therefore, such a gathering brings together senior UN officials who require different levels of security arrangements.
Mr. Jaki Azmi, the Deputy Chief of Safety and Security Services at UNON, described the extensive planning that goes into such a high-level visit by saying, "Our security planning starts way before the Secretary-General's arrival through the establishment and management of several elements from a security standpoint, such as accommodation, meeting venues, road movement and tracking, and medical support. To ensure that all the various operations run like a well-oiled machine, we also set up a temporary joint operation center close to the main meeting location. It all comes down to carrying out the security plan with military like precision.”
According to Fidelia Abara, the Field Security Coordination Officer in charge of Nairobi, Western and Central, "days preceding the arrival date are characterized by last-minute changes of plans occasioning a lot of hurry and wait moments, sleepless nights, and endless meetings with the host country security stake holders, the hotel management and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs." To coordinate the choreography, numerous reconnaissance visits are made in tandem with the meeting organizers. "From the vehicles that make up the Secretary General's convoy to their positions in the convoy and movements must be established and rehearsed before arrival…we are also cognizant that no plan survives contact and therefore we put in place several discreet emergency fallback plans,” stated Mr. Azmi.
Regardless of the time when the Secretary General’s flight lands, a team of security officers jointly drawn from UNDSS and an elite squad from the Kenya Police Service wait at the airport to provide an additional layer of security to complement the close protection officers traveling with the SG. To ensure smooth road movement, the Diplomatic Police Unit provides lead cars. While describing the security arrangement during the opening events at UNON, Mr. Azmi, said “one day before the Secretary-General’s arrives, our uniformed officers established standing posts manned on a 24-hour basis for the entire duration and only stand down after the departure. The officers also enhanced access control measures with only duly cleared delegates and participants granted access to meeting venues after presenting special badges.”
Mr. Andrew Pompey, the Deputy Security Adviser for Kenya, stated that "despite the increased security during such a high-level visit, we must also correspondingly maintain security to ensure continuity of United Nations activities and programmes across the country. Our security procedures are designed to ensure the Secretary-General's safety during the visit and minimize any interruptions to regular UN operations.”