Martin Hadlow, former Head of Office, Representative to Kazakhstan and Regional Communication Adviser for Central Asia and the Transcaucasus (1994-98)

15 July 2004

- "First visited Almaty in June, 1992 when I was UNESCO Regional Communication Adviser for Asia based in Kuala Lumpur. Initiated many projects in Central Asia following the International Seminar on Promoting Independent and Pluralistic Media in Asia (Almaty, October 1992) and visited the region on numerous occasions.

Transferred from Kuala Lumpur to Almaty to establish UNESCO's first Central Asian office in Almaty in December, 1994. (This was based in Room 1707 on the 17th floor of the Hotel Kazakhstan. We had no equipment, no furniture, no staff, no vehicles! The room had two beds, one hotel phone, a refrigerator and that was it. It was a very cold winter! The first recruit to the office was Bibigul Iskalieva (translator) and then Gulnara Kapekova (secretary/administrative assistant) and Akhat Baiburinov (driver). The UNDP was next door to us on the 17th floor. Later, we all moved to the KIMEP building."

After leaving Almaty, was transferred with promotion to Amman, Jordan as Director of the UNESCO Office and Representative to Jordan and Iraq. After three years in Amman, transferred to UNESCO Headquarters in Paris as Director of the global Division of Freedom of Expression, Democracy and Peace. In December, 2001 moved to Kabul, Afghanistan to establish UNESCO's first office in in this conflict-ridden country. Is due to conclude his Afghanistan assignment in September, 2004 and return to Headquarters.

Education:
Master of Arts (Mass Communications) from Leicester University, U.K. Honorary Doctorate, Kazakh State University (named after Al-Farabi), Kazakhstan. Currently student undertaking a PhD (part-time) through the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

This is the first page opening the flow about 10 years history of UNESCO Almaty Office...

Permanent link: http://en.unesco.kz/martin-hadlow-former-head-of-office-representative-to-kazakhstan-and-regional