United Nations, Sep 22 : United States Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday led tributes to former UN chief Kofi Annan, who died on August 18 at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Mr Guterres on Friday called Annan ‘principled and forceful in battling for the values of the UN Charter’ and ‘a true UN-blue believer in a rules-based global order, who called the United Nations the ‘last best hope of humanity.’
Outlining Annan’s key achievements, the Secretary-General pointed to the mobilisation of a global response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, that led to millions of lives being saved.
He also pointed to the ground-breaking Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which galvanised unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest, and have been credited with cutting world poverty by half.
The MDGs provided the blueprint for the 2030 Agenda, ‘today’s ambitious blueprint for a better world,’ a United Nations News Centre statement quoted Mr Guteress as saying.
Annan joined the UN system in 1962 as an administrative and budget officer with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, rising to hold senior-level posts in areas such as budget and finance, and peacekeeping.
He was the first Secretary-General to rise through the ranks of the Organization, and he served for two consecutive terms as the seventh UN chief, beginning in 1997.
At a personal level, said Mr Guterres, Kofi Annan was ‘uncommonly warm, accessible and of the people.’
UN General Assembly President María Fernanda Espinosa said that it was fitting for the tribute to take place on International Peace Day – which was launched during Annan’s mandate – as no one laboured more tirelessly or consistently in the cause of peace than did Kofi Annan.
“Kofi Annan was a great [Secretary-General] because he understood that peace cannot be achieved in isolation. He subscribed fully to the principles set out in the preamble to the UN Charter and knew that they are mutually interdependent.
Former United Nations General Secretary Ban ki moon, speaking at the General Assembly for the first time since leaving office, said that ‘the international community was continually astounded by Kofi Annan’s razor-sharp intellect, moved by his guiding compassion and encouraged by his driving idealism.’
‘His commitment to peace and conflict resolution, sustainable development, human rights and global education resonated powerfully with all those he came into across, including myself.’
UNI.
Comments are closed.