Madame President,
Today's occasion has given me a special honour to speak on behalf of the Eastern European Group to bidd a farewell to His Excellency, Mr. Kofi Anaan. We honour Mr. Annan for his efforts and tireless dedication to the work of the United Nations.
Being the first Secretary-General to be elected from the ranks of the career UN staff, Mr. Annan was highly aware of the burden and responsibility he was to carry as the highest ranking civil servant in the world.
His record is a proof that immense professional and personal efforts bear fruit. Being given a mandate in times of historical changes that have reshaped, Mr. Annan played an essential role in the life of the Organization.
He was confronted with a number of challenges, within the Organization and in the international arena.
The Organization needed to be revitalized. There was an urgent need for reform that would bring UN in line with the role of the Organization in the changed world.
At the same time in the international arena the processes were triggered by the phenomenon of globalization and the new post cold-war architecture, growing importance of human rights and dignity of individuals, sustainable development, empowerment of women, and other issues that needed adequate responses.
Madame President,
Mr. Annan's mandate was marked with some of the most dramatic crisis around the world, resulting in human sufferings of an unprecedented scale.
Our part of the world was not immune from. On that note we highly appreciate the role of the UN and Mr. Annan's personal engagement in his various roles during the times of crisis.
As a Secretary-General, Mr. Annan has been constantly reminding world leaders about the plight of the defenseless and underprivileged. In the recent years Mr. Annan focused his attention on creating and achieving Millennium Development Goals, eradicating hunger and poverty, fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. He was also an ardent advocate for human rights and development.
Madame President,
He left us with a legacy of an unprecedented document “In Larger Freedom”, as a concept for substantial overall reform of the UN and its role in the New Millennium.
While many segments of the Document are being implemented, we are aware of many challenges ahead of us, such as terrorism, ongoing armed conflicts, peacebuilding and fighting hunger and poverty. We should stay committed to addressing them.
Life at the helm of the World body such as UN requires professional commitment and personal dedication and sacrifice that Mr. Annan was always ready to take. This has been recognized by the award of the Nobel Peace Prize that Mr. Annan and the Organization have received in 2001 for their continuous efforts in maintaining peace and security.
Allow me to conclude by quoting Mr. Annan who said:” More than ever before in human history, we share a common destiny. We can master it only if we face it together.” We truly believe he will continue to participate in this common effort even in his private capacity.
Allow me, Mr. Annan, to thank you in the name of the Eastern European Group of States and my fellow Ambassadors for your continuous cooperation and support and to convey to you our wishes for a rich and meaningful time ahead of you.
Thank you.
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