The United Nations (UN) on Thursday
paid final respects to former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, as the late
Ghanaian diplomat is laid to rest on Thursday in Ghana.
The current UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his remarks at the funeral of his
predecessor, played glowing tributes to Annan, who died on Aug. 18, at
the age of 80 years.
The News Agency of Nigeria
reports that the UN General Assembly would hold a commemorative meeting to pay
tribute to the former Secretary-General on Friday, at the UN headquarters in
New York.
Statements, a minute of
silence, and traditional African cultural performance, are expected to be made
in honour of the seventh UN scribe.
“Kofi Annan was both
one-of-a-kind and one of us. He was an exceptional global leader.
“He was also someone virtually
anyone in the world could see themselves in: those on the far reaching of
poverty or by, conflict and despair who found in him an ally; the junior UN
staffers following in his footsteps; the young person to whom he said until his
dying breath ‘always remember, you are never too young to lead – and we are
never too old to learn.
“Like few in our time, Kofi Annan
would bring people together, put them at ease, and unite them towards a common
goal for our common humanity.
“There is an old joke: The art of
diplomacy is to say nothing, especially when you are speaking! Kofi Annan could
say everything, sometimes without uttering a word.
“It came from the dignity and the
moral conviction and the humanity that was so deep in him.
“He had that gentle voice, that lilt
that made people smile and think of music. But his words were tough and wise.
“And sometimes the graver a
situation, the lower that voice would get.We would lean in to listen. And the
world would lean in. And we were rewarded by his wisdom,” Guterres said.
The UN chief said Kofi Annan
was courageous, speaking truth to power while subjecting himself to intense
self-scrutiny.
Pointing to his time at the
helm of the UN, Guterres said Annan had an almost mystical sense of the role of
the UN as a force for good in a world of ills.
“He pioneered new ideas and
initiatives, including the Millennium Development Goals and the landmark
reforms in his report, In Larger Freedom .
“He opened the doors of the UN,
bringing the Organisation close to the world’s people and engaging new partners
in protecting the environment, defending human rights and combating HIV and
AIDS and other killer diseases.
“Kofi Annan was the UN and the
United Nation was him,” he said.
Guterres said now that he
occupied the office Annan once held, he is continually inspired by his
integrity, dynamism and dedication.
“To him, indifference was
the world’s worst poison. Even after finishing his term as Secretary-General,
he never stopped battling on the front-lines of diplomacy.
“He helped to case post-election
tensions in Kenya, gave his all to find a political solution to the brutal war
in Syria and set out a path for ensuring justice and rights for the Rohingya
people of Myanmar.
“Kofi straddled many worlds. North
and South, East and West. But he found his surest anchor in his African roots
and identity.
“The great Nelson Mandela,
accustomed to being called Madiba, had his own nickname for Kofi, and called
him ‘my leader’. This was no jest. Kofi was our leader, too,” Guterres stressed.
The UN chief said Annan is
gone now and he would be missed immensely but that his words and wise counsel
remain.
“Please carry on’, I hear him
saying. ‘You know what to do: Take care of each other. Take care of our planet.
Recognise the humanity in all people.
“And support the United Nations –
the place where we can all come together to solve problems and build a better
future for all”‘.
Guterres concluded: “As we
face the headwinds of our troubled and turbulent times, let us always be
inspired by the legacy of Kofi Annan – and guided by the knowledge that he will
continue speaking to us, urging us on towards the goals to which he dedicated
his life and truly moved our world”.
Born in Kumasi, Ghana, on
April 8, 1938, Annan was the seventh Secretary-General of the UN, after
Egyptian diplomat, Boutrous Boutrous-Ghali exit in December 1996, and served
for two consecutive five-year terms, from January 1997 to December 2006.
-NAN
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
