Podcast Summary: Migrant Odyssey

Episode: Lex Takkenberg – 30 Years in the Most Scrutinised of All UN Agencies

Host: Stephen Barden
Guest: Lex Takkenberg
Date: April 21, 2025

Overview

This episode of Migrant Odyssey features a compelling conversation with Lex Takkenberg, whose four-decade career has been dedicated to the protection of refugees – with more than 30 years in UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees). Host Stephen Barden guides Lex through a personal and professional odyssey: from his roots in refugee legal advocacy in the Netherlands, through the tumultuous decades serving Palestinian refugees in the Levant, to his present work on ethics and social justice in the Arab world. The discussion explores the human realities behind institutional challenges, the complexities of neutrality for humanitarian organizations, and the enduring impact of migration on individual lives and communities.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Lex's Personal Journey into Refugee Protection

Timestamps: 02:18 – 10:19

• Lex’s interest in refugee protection began during his international law studies in Amsterdam, where an encouraging professor helped launch his career.
• Early work involved legal advocacy for refugees in the Netherlands, expanding to European policy contexts.
• Sought international roles, eventually joining UNRWA after a chance recommendation and "pioneering" protection program post-Intifada.
• Describes being rapidly recruited for urgent work in Gaza and the West Bank as part of a response to rising violence.
• Quote:

  “The five months became 31 years.” – Lex Takkenberg (09:48)

2. First Impressions in the West Bank

Timestamps: 10:19 – 15:52

• At 29, Lex’s “first time in a place of conflict” was marked by anxiety but also a sense of purpose.
• Initially found the environment surprisingly welcoming until the deeper realities of occupation and localized violence became clear.
• Presence of international officers with “a UN flag… already had a kind of moderating effect on the confrontation.”
• Quote:

  “The initial impressions were like, this is a warm blanket… And then one of the first things I realized, yes, there was an uprising ongoing.” – Lex Takkenberg (11:18)

• Palestinian communities valued UNRWA’s field presence as witnesses and protectors, but officers had to be cautious not to provoke or intensify conflict.

3. Historical and Political Complexities of UNRWA

Timestamps: 15:52 – 23:56

• Barden and Lex dissect UNRWA’s unique status: established by U.S. design, caught between humanitarian aid and headline-grabbing geopolitics.
• UNRWA became both a support mechanism for refugees and a political tool—viewed differently by host countries, Israel, the US, and the refugees themselves.
• UNRWA’s original mission included attempts at large-scale integration, but skepticism from both host countries and refugees refocused the agency on humanitarian support, education, and health.
• Israel’s “love-hate relationship” with UNRWA: appreciating its stabilizing effects but objecting to its staff and alleged neutrality breaches.
• Quote:

  “UNRWA has been many different things to different people, to different stakeholders.” – Lex Takkenberg (16:15)

4. Challenges of Neutrality and Allegations Against UNRWA

Timestamps: 23:56 – 29:53

• Since 1967, scrutiny over neutrality began, including pressure for textbook censorship in UNRWA schools and increasing allegations against staff.
• UNRWA developed one of the UN’s most comprehensive neutrality frameworks: staff vetting, training, oversight, and adherence to humanitarian principles.
• Lex describes the difficulty of maintaining true neutrality when most employees are themselves Palestinian refugees living under occupation.
• Quote:

  “UNRWA has been under more scrutiny than any other UN agency... with respect to this neutrality requirement.” – Lex Takkenberg (29:34)

5. Managing Host, Local, and Donor Relations

Timestamps: 29:53 – 39:08

• UNRWA operates amid conflicting agendas: Israeli and Palestinian authorities, Hamas, Western donors, and host states all exert influence.
• In Syria and Jordan, any structural improvements to refugees’ living conditions raised fears of “integration” undermining the right of return.
• Lex recalls more hopeful times (“nation-building” after the Oslo Accords) and the deterioration with subsequent violence and the Hamas-Fatah split.
• Contact with de facto authorities (including Hamas) was unavoidable for humanitarian access despite political taboos.
• UNRWA’s internal unions and staff affiliations have led to additional suspicion and complexity.
• Quote:

  “As humanitarian actors do, [for operations] to function, you have to engage with whoever has authority on the ground.” – Lex Takkenberg (37:11)

6. Establishing Ethical and Integrity Standards in Humanitarian Work

Timestamps: 39:08 – 45:47

• Lex became UNRWA’s first dedicated Chief Ethics Officer in response to UN-wide reforms on corruption and integrity.
• Focused on training, conflict-of-interest prevention, and particularly on neutrality, including a bespoke e-learning course on social media use after staff controversies.
• Emphasizes the importance—and limitations—of neutrality as a guiding principle.
• Quote:

  “We train the entire workforce on responsible use of social media... a couple of thousand managers in UNRWA.” – Lex Takkenberg (41:54)

7. Evolving Notions of Neutrality and Voice

Timestamps: 42:39 – 45:47

• Post-UNRWA, Lex developed a more critical perspective: neutrality principles have often been “weaponized” by states to suppress legitimate critique.
• Recognizes the “humanitarian framing” sometimes constrained staff and the agency from voicing true concerns about violations.
• Quote:

  “Neutrality... has also been to sort of silence UNRWA from being more vocal with respect to Israeli violations.” – Lex Takkenberg (44:07)

8. Current Role with ARDD (Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development)

Timestamps: 45:47 – 53:08

• ARDD: A Jordanian NGO founded during the Iraqi refugee crisis, now addressing broader social justice issues, including migration and forced displacement.
• Lex leads programming on Palestine and works to bring the Palestinian question back into Arab public discourse.
• ARDD also provides legal aid, advocacy, research, and has expanded to a think tank and European affiliate.
• Organization’s mission reflects a continued belief in migration as a transformative, not problematic, force.
• Quote:

  “It’s almost like a mission statement—the renaissance stands for peaceful transformation.” – Lex Takkenberg (47:12)

Memorable Quotes

• On beginnings:

  “Mr. Tackenberg, you must apply for that position. Okay, Professor, I will.” (03:05)

• On the intensity of early fieldwork:

  “We were called Refugee Affairs Officers... just people to sort of help UNRWA carry out its operations under those difficult circumstances...” (08:15)

• On neutrality:

  “As an organization, we have to maintain neutrality... to safeguard the security and protection of our staff and the people we're trying to help.” (28:18)

• On internal and external scrutiny:

  “Independent reviews have assessed that UNRWA safeguards and management of neutrality goes beyond anything that other agencies have in place.” (29:48)

• On the politicization of neutrality:

  “Neutrality... has also been to sort of silence UNRWA from being more vocal with respect to Israeli violations.” (44:07)

Episode Flow & Highlights with Timestamps

• Introduction and Lex’s Background (00:06 – 02:18)
• Early Legal Career & First UNRWA Assignment (02:18 – 10:19)
• First Impressions in the West Bank (10:19 – 15:52)
• UNRWA’s Creation, Mission, and Challenge of Perceptions (15:52 – 23:32)
• UNRWA’s Navigating Neutrality and Scrutiny (23:56 – 29:53)
• Working with Multiple Authorities; Hope and Setback (29:53 – 39:08)
• UNRWA Ethics Office and Integrity (39:21 – 42:39)
• Neutrality, Activism, and Changing Perspectives (42:39 – 45:47)
• ARDD’s Mission and Lex’s Current Work (45:59 – 53:08)
• Endorsement of Future Guest (53:19 – 53:44)
• Conclusion & Gratitude (53:51 – 54:16)

Conclusion

Lex Takkenberg’s story is a testament to the complexity, humanity, and persistent hope within humanitarian work and migration. Listeners gain insights into the real-life dilemmas behind headlines: the balancing act of neutrality, the interplay between ethics and politics, and the steadfast belief in migration as a source of renewal and strength. This episode is richly informative for anyone interested in refugee affairs, organizational ethics, or the untold personal stories that fuel humanitarian action.