Editorial Desk :
The death of former U.N. Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan on Saturday at the age of 80 has come as a big shock to the world. After decades of championing efforts to try to end protracted conflicts in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, Annan – a Ghanaian national died in a Bern hospital in Switzerland after protracted undisclosed illness. Annan and world diplomacy was synonymous for decades even after his retirement as UN chief. The vacuum his untimely death has created can’t be so quickly overcome.
For Bangladesh it is a big loss because he was intensively involved in resolving the Rohingya issue as co-chairman of the UN Commission and had promised to visit Dhaka soon to carry forward the mission. He visited Rakhine State was fighting for safe return of the Rohingya to their home in Myanmar with full citizenship restored. His illness delayed his Dhaka visit and Bangladesh and the Rohingyas in particular have lost of big friend and humanitarian in his death.
The world has known him as a great statesman and
unparallel diplomat through his years as UN chief from 1997 to 2006 when he served the organization twice as the head of the world body. Messages of condolence are pouring in from world leaders mourning his death. It has invariably deprived the humanity of a seasoned voice for peace; which he continued even after retirement from the UN job.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Annan led the UN into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination winning the Nobel Peace Prize for himself the UN for efforts to reform the world body. He expanded the UN role giving priority to human rights, poverty eradication, social issues and health care; which were not so reflective in the UN agenda earlier. For sometime Annan was the UNO, Guterres said. Former US president Barack Obama described him as “a diplomat and humanitarian who embodied the mission of the United Nations like few others”. World leaders praised him as “a man of integrity; a great African and a great leader of the world.” His latest efforts were to create new African leadership for future and he was periodically holding camp for them.
Many blamed him for failing to resolve big crisis. But his failures in resolving civil war in Bosnia, Rwanda, efforts to unite Cyprus and end the war in Syria as the UN envoy had no doubt brought to light his statesmanship and tireless efforts and dedication to defeat war and establish peace in the world’s troubled spots. He made no secret that big powers had defeated every such effort. He had vigorously opposed invasion of Iraq and the US and Britain had to resort to the war at the end without the UN approval. He strengthened the UN peace keeping but peace remained illusive all over again and he blamed big powers rivalries for it.
But still he has great faith in the World body. He told the BBC few months back replying to criticism that the UN has lost relevance that “The U.N. can be improved, it is not perfect but if it didn’t exist you would have to create it again.”
We mourn his death.
The death of former U.N. Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan on Saturday at the age of 80 has come as a big shock to the world. After decades of championing efforts to try to end protracted conflicts in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, Annan – a Ghanaian national died in a Bern hospital in Switzerland after protracted undisclosed illness. Annan and world diplomacy was synonymous for decades even after his retirement as UN chief. The vacuum his untimely death has created can’t be so quickly overcome.
For Bangladesh it is a big loss because he was intensively involved in resolving the Rohingya issue as co-chairman of the UN Commission and had promised to visit Dhaka soon to carry forward the mission. He visited Rakhine State was fighting for safe return of the Rohingya to their home in Myanmar with full citizenship restored. His illness delayed his Dhaka visit and Bangladesh and the Rohingyas in particular have lost of big friend and humanitarian in his death.
The world has known him as a great statesman and
unparallel diplomat through his years as UN chief from 1997 to 2006 when he served the organization twice as the head of the world body. Messages of condolence are pouring in from world leaders mourning his death. It has invariably deprived the humanity of a seasoned voice for peace; which he continued even after retirement from the UN job.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Annan led the UN into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination winning the Nobel Peace Prize for himself the UN for efforts to reform the world body. He expanded the UN role giving priority to human rights, poverty eradication, social issues and health care; which were not so reflective in the UN agenda earlier. For sometime Annan was the UNO, Guterres said. Former US president Barack Obama described him as “a diplomat and humanitarian who embodied the mission of the United Nations like few others”. World leaders praised him as “a man of integrity; a great African and a great leader of the world.” His latest efforts were to create new African leadership for future and he was periodically holding camp for them.
Many blamed him for failing to resolve big crisis. But his failures in resolving civil war in Bosnia, Rwanda, efforts to unite Cyprus and end the war in Syria as the UN envoy had no doubt brought to light his statesmanship and tireless efforts and dedication to defeat war and establish peace in the world’s troubled spots. He made no secret that big powers had defeated every such effort. He had vigorously opposed invasion of Iraq and the US and Britain had to resort to the war at the end without the UN approval. He strengthened the UN peace keeping but peace remained illusive all over again and he blamed big powers rivalries for it.
But still he has great faith in the World body. He told the BBC few months back replying to criticism that the UN has lost relevance that “The U.N. can be improved, it is not perfect but if it didn’t exist you would have to create it again.”
We mourn his death.
