UN Volunteers Executive Coordinator says goodbye
Bonn · From the Netherlands, Richard Dictus will be leaving his UN post after nearly four years. He was invited by Mayor Sridharan to sign the Golden Book.
On Thursday, it was time for Richard Dictus to say his goodbyes to Bonn. Since 2013, Dictus, from the Netherlands has served as Executive Coordinator of United Nations Volunteers (UNV). In recognition of his service, he was invited by Bonn’s Mayor Ashok Sridharan to sign the Golden Book. During his time as Executive Coordinator of UNV, he established the UN Partnership Forum.
This brought together many different leaders from the non-profit sector, with representatives coming from all over the world to meet in Bonn. He was also present during the expansion of the UN campus. Sridharan described Dictus as “a responsible, trustworthy and creative partner for the city,” and thanked him for his work, which he carried out with passion.
Dictus admitted he was leaving Bonn with some sadness: “Bonn is a very special city. People know each other, that is what’s really nice,” he commented. True to his Dutch roots, he has put away 30,000 kilometers on his bicycle while living in Bonn. “In the Netherlands, we say that it’s time to change the tires after 30,000 kilometers.
For me, the time also came.” As he prepares to leave, he will take with him fond memories of Carnival and of meeting three different Presidents of Germany. As a small town person, he said that was a real honor for him. Bonn has grown in profile in the last years as a UN city, and it stands for the future and for sustainability. Dictus sees Bonn as having enormous potential: “Bonn could become the next Silicon Valley for sustainability.” Orig. text: chf
