Kul Gautam
Encyclopedia
Kul Chandra Gautam, from Nepal
, is a distinguished international civil servant from Nepal
. He was the former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations
and Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, special advisor to the Prime Minister of Nepal on International Affairs and the Peace Process , and Nepal's candidate for President of the 66th UN General Assembly.
of western Nepal. When he grew up, Amarpur village had no school, no health post, no running water, and no roads. As a child, Gautam learned his alphabets from his barely literate grandfather Kapil Mani Gautam. He studies Sanskrit and Hindu scriptures first from a guru in a neighboring village and later in Benaras. A suggestion to obtain an “English” education to prepare for a government job meant that Gautam then attended Janata Vidyalaya school in Tansen, Plapa – a 3 days walk away from his village. In school, Gautam achieved good marks, voraciously read Nepali literature, wrote essays and poems, and was recognzed as a “Bal Kabi” or young poet-laureate by the district commissioner of Palpa
. Kul completed the last year of his high school from the J.P. High School in Kathmandu, scoring among the top students in the nationwide SLC exams.
After high school, Kul attended Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, USA. It took Kul Gautam 2 years to get his passport, during which time he studied at Tri-Chandra College in Kathmandu and obtained the I.A. (Intermediate of Arts) diploma, again ranking among the top students in the nation. At this time, Gautam worked as a part-time translator at the USAID mission in Kathmandu, and tutored college students for income.
At Dartmouth, Gautam majored in International Relations. He was in the Dean’s List and graduated cum laude. He was active in the 1960s student movement against US war in Vietnam. He was one of the founders and the first President of the International Students Association at Dartmouth, and active in extracurriculars such as the student Model United Nations project. His interest and activism in the anti-war movement had led him to learn more about the history and politics of Vietnam and Indo-China and lent him a fascination for the region. Gautam then studied the French language, which would serve him well in his future assignments with the United Nations.
Gautam completed a Master of Public Affairs (MPA) in economic development from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
at Princeton University
. In 1973, he was recruited by UNICEF to serve in war-torn Cambodia, a fulfillment of his dream to work for the United Nations in Indo-China.
, taking on challenging assignments and demonstrating good managerial and leadership skills. After serving as Programme officer for UNICEF in Indonesia, Kul became the youngest UNICEF country Representative in Laos. He was the first UNICEF Representative to Haiti during the politically turbulent times in the early 1980s.
Kul later became Chief for Latin America and the Caribbean at UNICEF headquarters in New York – an unusual honour and a challenge for an Asian who rapidly acquired proficiency in the Spanish language and on the development dynamics of a new continent.
Kul became UNICEF’s Director of Planning and Coordination in 1988. In that capacity he was given prime responsibility for master-minding the largest gathering of world leaders at the 1990 World Summit for Children at the United Nations in New York. The Declaration and Plan of Action of the Summit which Kul had a hand in crafting has become one of the best known and most effective instrument of international advocacy and action for the well-being of the world’s children today.
Kul also served as UNICEF’s Director of Programmes overseeing the policy-making and priority-setting of this billion dollars a year international organization working in over 160 countries. For brief periods he also served as UNICEF’s Special Representative for India and Regional Director for the Asia Pacific region.
In June, 2008, Gautam was awarded the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award.
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, is a distinguished international civil servant from Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. He was the former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, special advisor to the Prime Minister of Nepal on International Affairs and the Peace Process , and Nepal's candidate for President of the 66th UN General Assembly.
Early Life and Education
Kul Chandra Gautam was born to Om Prasad and Heema Gautam in the small village of Amarpur in Gulmi DistrictGulmi District
Gulmi District of 296,654. It is famous for coffee farming. Ruru, a Holy Place now also known as Ridi,is a market centre,where many of the tamples are situated.Maghe sankranti and other festivals are celebrated here. Many local as well as foreign tourists come here to visit the place...
of western Nepal. When he grew up, Amarpur village had no school, no health post, no running water, and no roads. As a child, Gautam learned his alphabets from his barely literate grandfather Kapil Mani Gautam. He studies Sanskrit and Hindu scriptures first from a guru in a neighboring village and later in Benaras. A suggestion to obtain an “English” education to prepare for a government job meant that Gautam then attended Janata Vidyalaya school in Tansen, Plapa – a 3 days walk away from his village. In school, Gautam achieved good marks, voraciously read Nepali literature, wrote essays and poems, and was recognzed as a “Bal Kabi” or young poet-laureate by the district commissioner of Palpa
Palpa
Palpa may refer to:In Peru:*Palpa, Peru, near the Nazca Lines*Palpa Province, in the Ica RegionIn Nepal:*Palpa District, a district of Nepal in the Lumbini Zone*Palpa language...
. Kul completed the last year of his high school from the J.P. High School in Kathmandu, scoring among the top students in the nationwide SLC exams.
After high school, Kul attended Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, USA. It took Kul Gautam 2 years to get his passport, during which time he studied at Tri-Chandra College in Kathmandu and obtained the I.A. (Intermediate of Arts) diploma, again ranking among the top students in the nation. At this time, Gautam worked as a part-time translator at the USAID mission in Kathmandu, and tutored college students for income.
At Dartmouth, Gautam majored in International Relations. He was in the Dean’s List and graduated cum laude. He was active in the 1960s student movement against US war in Vietnam. He was one of the founders and the first President of the International Students Association at Dartmouth, and active in extracurriculars such as the student Model United Nations project. His interest and activism in the anti-war movement had led him to learn more about the history and politics of Vietnam and Indo-China and lent him a fascination for the region. Gautam then studied the French language, which would serve him well in his future assignments with the United Nations.
Gautam completed a Master of Public Affairs (MPA) in economic development from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
The Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs is a professional public policy school at Princeton University. The school has granted undergraduate A.B. degrees since 1930 and graduate degrees since 1948...
at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. In 1973, he was recruited by UNICEF to serve in war-torn Cambodia, a fulfillment of his dream to work for the United Nations in Indo-China.
Career
Kul progressed rapidly in his career with the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, taking on challenging assignments and demonstrating good managerial and leadership skills. After serving as Programme officer for UNICEF in Indonesia, Kul became the youngest UNICEF country Representative in Laos. He was the first UNICEF Representative to Haiti during the politically turbulent times in the early 1980s.
Kul later became Chief for Latin America and the Caribbean at UNICEF headquarters in New York – an unusual honour and a challenge for an Asian who rapidly acquired proficiency in the Spanish language and on the development dynamics of a new continent.
Kul became UNICEF’s Director of Planning and Coordination in 1988. In that capacity he was given prime responsibility for master-minding the largest gathering of world leaders at the 1990 World Summit for Children at the United Nations in New York. The Declaration and Plan of Action of the Summit which Kul had a hand in crafting has become one of the best known and most effective instrument of international advocacy and action for the well-being of the world’s children today.
Kul also served as UNICEF’s Director of Programmes overseeing the policy-making and priority-setting of this billion dollars a year international organization working in over 160 countries. For brief periods he also served as UNICEF’s Special Representative for India and Regional Director for the Asia Pacific region.
Recognition
As the Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, holding the rank of Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kul Chandra Gautam has held the highest-ranking posts in the United Nations as a Nepali.In June, 2008, Gautam was awarded the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award.