Judy Cheng-Hopkins

by Rosalind Chua

Penang Institute recently hosted a lunch for Judy Cheng-Hopkins, assistant secretary-general, United Nations for Peacebuilding Support with the Institute’s staff, fellows and directors. The relaxed gathering was a good opportunity for the Institute to get an overview of the Peace Building Commission’s work in volatile regions around the world.

The work of the Peacebuilding Support begins after the UN peacekeepers (the ubiquitous “Blue Helmets”) stabilise the military situation on the ground. The peacebuilders or “Blue Briefcases” then work with interim governments and NGOs to return normality to war-shattered nations. As Judy explained, “Finding implementing partners is a challenge…we turn to NGOs with people on the ground.”

Photograph by Jeffrey Hardy Quah

While the UN’s annual peacekeeping budget is in the astronomical region of US$8-9bil annually, the Peacebuilding Support operates on an annual budget of approximately US$125mil. Fundraising is a crucial part of Judy’s role and her team is currently working in 20 countries – predominantly in West Africa. “This is a self-imposed limit, I don’t want to stretch myself too thin,” she said.

Judy also shared how she first met Dato’ Chet Singh (currently a Penang Institute director) and Lim Pao Li, SERI’s executive director in Nairobi in 1990. Excited at meeting fellow Penangites so far away from home, she immediately invited them over for dinner…and ended up making them cook.

Photograph by Jeffrey Hardy Quah

Culinary arts aside, the lunch talk was a real eye-opener for the Institute’s staff; it was certainly an honour for the Institute to host the first Malaysian to be listed in Forbes magazine's list of “The 10 Most Powerful Women at the UN”.

For more information on the UN Peacebuilding Support, visit:
http://www.un.org/en/peacebuilding/pbso/

Related Article

Penang Girl Judy heads UN Peacebuilders