13 Jul 2022

 Five Batswana youth completing a year-long internship with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations, have expressed gratitude to President, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi and government for their experience working in a global multilateral environment.

Speaking in an interview with BOPA on the margins of a reception hosted for the President by Botswana’s Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations, and outgoing ECOSOC President, Mr Collen Kelapile in New York, the interns said they were honoured to have been availed the opportunity to learn on-the job at the UN.

The five- Mmoloki Tsheole, Keneilwe Baitshenyetsi, Segomotso Maswikiti, Oratile Nkhutelang and Kabelo Mpugwa started their internship with ECOSOC at the UN headquarters in New York in July 2021 and will conclude their training at the end of the month.

The interns hold degrees in various disciplines such as Economics, Public Administration, Accounting and Statistics and have now added some work experience to theory, having benefited first from the government internship system in the Department of Multilateral Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and now the UN System.

“President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has made it his mission to get Batswana to work for international organisations and for the country to be a more proactive participant in multilateral institutions. As part of that plan, when Botswana assumed the Presidency of ECOSOC in July 2021 we were brought in as interns to work at the UN,” Mr Tsheole said.

The young man, who graduated from the University of Botswana with a degree in Political Science and Public Administration in 2019, and had served in the government internship programme in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Europe and Americas Division said their experience at the UN had been invaluable.

“We were continuously engaged by both the UN as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For example we were co-opted to represent the ministry at the Forbes 30 under 30 Africa Summit and recently the Intercessional Meeting of the Kimberley Process in recent months which gave us further exposure,” he said.

He added that they were more rounded professionals now, and intended to use the experience they gained to further serve Botswana and the international multilateral system. “We were glad to hear the President say his government seeks to continue affording more Batswana youth such experience.

This was a pilot project and we could see the benefit thereof for the country. Our intention is to continue showcasing what we have learned in the world of diplomatic service and we hope to be afforded such an opportunity,” he said.

For his part, Resident Coordinator of the UN in Botswana, Mr Zia Choudhury, pledged to continue working with government to ensure the youth continued to gain experience for employability.

“When I first met President Masisi in 2020 he expressed his intention of getting more Batswana youth working in the multilateral system - and Botswana plays her rightful role in influencing global affairs.

We would like to see these excellent youth being absorbed into the government; we ourselves commit to using their talents in the UN system,” Mr Choudhury said.

He added that in their conversation with President Masisi, they had committed to having 10 such Batswana youth every year working as interns in the UN system to give them training, orientation and exposure in multilateral systems. BOPA