Statement by the Director-General (UNOG), Michael Møller, on the passing of former Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Statements and Speeches
Today is a sad day for the world.
Humanity lost its strong moral voice, and I lost my mentor, my role model and great friend.
Kofi Annan was an extraordinary political leader but his major legacy is his humanity. It infused everything he did, every decision he made, and helped him restore the trust and enthousiasm in our great organization. He was an exceptional human being, with an amazing balance, infallible political instinct and ever present compassion, always caring for others, particularly the less fortunate of us.
His legacy is endless: from making sure that HIV/AIDS patients could get affordable medicines, to mainstreaming human rights in everything we are doing, from developing the responsibility to protect to promoting the Millennium Developments Goals, to name only a few. He reshaped the United Nations, scaling up our ability to help where it was most needed. He was also a dedicated son of Africa, who cared and did a lot for his continent.
My heartfelt thoughts go to his wife Nane and children, to his colleagues at the Kofi Annan Foundation and to the whole United Nations family. We will all deeply miss him!
Rest in peace dear Kofi, and thank you for your extraordinary contribution to humanity.
