Summer interview 2014 – Martin Chungong, Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Martin Chungong is the new Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). In this interview, he tells us about his work over the summer months, his holiday plans as well as his favourite books, music and places to visit in the Geneva area this summer.

August 2014

What are you working on this summer?

I am settling into my job as Secretary General and tackling priority tasks such as preparing the budget for 2015, planning for a series of high-level parliamentary meetings in New York and generally pursuing efforts for stronger parliamentary involvement in the design of the post 2015 development agenda.

Holiday plans?

I do not plan to take extended holidays given that I have just assumed my duties as Secretary General. I want to be on top of all the issues very quickly. So, I plan to take long weekends and retire to our country home in Burgundy for some quiet and reflection.

What do you take the opportunity to do in Geneva during the summer?

Apart from work-related matters, I will use the long summer afternoons after work to tend my garden, and do some reading.

Do you have a place you really love, in Geneva or in the surrounding area?

The lake area around Bellevue and its restaurants on the lake are lovely places to be in during the summer.

How about a summer book recommendation for our readers?

I suggest 'Someone knows my name' by Lawrence Hill

And on the music scene?

I am a big fan of reggae and suggest that readers tune in to everything reggae.