Milan Victor Dawoh from the Republic of Sierra Leone has become the first African to be elected as President of the United Nations Field Staff Union. From humble beginnings, Milan Dawoh started his UN career in 2001 with UNAMSIL here in Sierra Leone. As a university dropout during the civil war, Milan went to the UN Headquarters in Mammy Yoko looking for job. The competition was tough, so Milan started washing the UN cars. He did the job so well that he was spotted by the Chief Transport Officer Norris Jorsling from Trinidad & Tobago who noticed the high intelligence of Milan.
A few months later, a vacancy announcement for a Transport Dispatcher was made, and Milan successfully passed the interview and was recruited as a national staff. He performed so well that he was transferred to Afghanistan as a UN Volunteer. Again, while in Afghanistan, Milan was promoted from UN Volunteer to an appointment with UNOPS.
From Afghanistan, Milan went to East Timor as the Head of the Transport Road Safety for the UN Mission (UNMIT). It is worth noting that during his tenure as the head of the Road Safety unit (2007 to 2012), no UN staff or Peacekeeper died because of Road Traffic. The only UN Peacekeeping that still holds that record. In 2008 while in East Timor, Milan was elected as the Chairperson of the UN Field Staff Union.
In 2015, Milan was brought to the Central African Republic to setup the Road Safety Unit and was elected as the Chairperson of the UN Field Staff union in C.A.R, a job he did until now.
From East Timor, Milan was brought to the Central African Republic as the Chief of Road Safety Officer and was elected Chairperson of the UN Field Staff Union.
The resilience story of Milan has inspired so many UN staff members around the world that they unanimously elected him and his team to the executive office.
Milan Dawoh came from one of the poorest family in Bumbuna and he used to walk daily, barefooted a total 26 kilometers returned trip from his mother’s village (Bassaia) to Bumbuna for schooling. He never forgot his origin, when he had his first job; he built a school in his village to prevent the kids from the surrounding villages from going through the hard life he went through.
In spite of his poor background, Milan beat the odds to educate himself. Today, he is one of the few people in the world that is physically educated in four continents: In Africa, he did is Masters in Diplomacy and International Relations in Fourah Bay College. In Europe, he did a post graduate study in road Safety Engineering at Delft University. In Australia, he did his bachelor’s degree in international Relations & Political Science and got a High Distinction at the Charles Darwin University. And recently, he graduated from a leadership Program at the prestigious Harvard University. Milan Dawoh has worked and visited over 70 countries around the world and he is fluent in six languages. Milan Dawoh is a highly disciplined man who made his career through merit.
A senior UN Official has predicted that the same way that Milan Dawoh could be the next UN Secretary General from Africa in 2038 when it will be Africa’s turn to head the United Nations. He will be unanimously elected by the UN Security Council the same way the whole world has just elected unopposed.
Milan Dawoh is elected with Vice President Catherine Omondi from Kenya and Vice President Paul Smith from New Zealand. The trio will form the Executive of the United Nations Field Staff Union and will run the organization from 2023 to 2025.
Milan Dawoh has made history as the first African to head the world’s most represented union and the first person ever to be elected unopposed.
He is certainly the pride of the Nation and has put Sierra Leone on the UN world map.
