Will Logan Returns from Six-Month Assignment to the U.S. Mission to UNESCO

ALEXANDRIA, VA – December 1, 2009. IWR's Will Logan returned on November 2, 2009 from his six-month assignment to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris, France, as their Science Attaché. He is the second IWR employee to fill this position; Dr. Eugene Stakhiv was Science Attaché shortly after the United States' re-entry into UNESCO.

During his time at post, Dr. Logan was the officer responsible for most matters related to science and engineering. His responsibilities included acting as liaison to UNESCO's Basic Science Sector; representing the U.S. on science issues when discussed in meetings of UNESCO's General Conference and Executive Board; and preparing and supporting U.S. participation in a Ministerial-level scientific roundtable held at the October 2009 General Conference.

While Dr. Logan was at the Mission, the U.S. obtained UNESCO approval of the International Centre for Integrated Water Resources Management (ICIWaRM) as a "Category 2 Water Centre under the auspices of UNESCO." An agreement was signed by Major General Don T. Riley, Deputy Commanding General, USACE and Mr. Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General, UNESCO on October 29, 2009 at UNESCO's New York office (story). The U.S. also secured membership on the UNESCO International Hydrological Programme's (IHP) Intergovernmental Council for the next four years. This will permit the U.S. to play a more influential role in future directions of the IHP.

In addition to working on the approval of ICIWaRM, one of the most interesting parts of the job, according to Dr. Logan, was "taking the microphone" at the General Conference and Executive Board meetings. "You aren't speaking on behalf of yourself, or even a given government agency, but on behalf of the United States of America," he noted. "You have to really do your homework before you open your mouth."

Dr. Logan has since resumed his duties as Deputy Director of ICIWaRM at the IWR.

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