Episode #14 - Charles Petrie

Charles Petrie has held various leadership level positions in the United Nations in headquarters and country operations, including in Burundi, Myanmar, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan and many more. Petrie was also designated by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to lead an internal review of the UN’s actions in Sri Lanka during the last phase of the conflict, which subsequently led to the Secretary-General’s “Human Rights-up-Front” initiative. In this episode, Charles Petrie walks us through his time in Myanmar in mid-2000s. He discusses the challenges he navigated to lead UN’s operation and his decision to speak out. He dives into the intricacies of humanitarian diplomacy, with examples of his interactions with various interlocutors in Myanmar and in other contexts. Disclaimer: The opinions and memories expressed in the “I Was There” podcast series are those of each individual speaker and do not imply the expression of any opinion or responsibility on the part of UN OCHA.