USIA - Kofi Annan Becomes Seventh U.N. Secretary-General, 96-12-17
From: The United States Information Agency (USIA) Gopher at <gopher://gopher.usia.gov>
KOFI ANNAN BECOMES SEVENTH U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL
(FR) (Backgrounder on new U.N. leader and appointment ceremony) (1280)
By Judy Aita
USIA United Nations Correspondent
UNITED NATIONS -- Kofi Atta Annan was formally named seventh secretary-
general of the United Nations by acclamation December 17 during a two-hour
ceremony in a crowded General Assembly Hall, attended by representatives of
the world organization's 185 members.
Taking the oath of office, administered by General Assembly President
Razali Ismail of Malaysia, Annan was surrounded by former secretaries-
general, diplomats from around the world, and top U.N. officials -- all of
whom he has worked closely with during his more than 30-year association
with the United Nations.
For the first time in U.N. history, the United Nations will be led by one
whose professional career and service have been closely intertwined with
that of the organization. His professional experiences are the experiences
of the United Nations during a period of great and turbulent changes
throughout the world.
"As a son of Africa, and as a lifetime international civil servant, I
pledge to you that I will do everything within my power to be worthy of
your trust," Annan said in an acceptance speech.
Issuing a challenge to U.N. members, Annan set the tone for his stewardship.
Let every member state welcome change, not resist it, he said. "Let us make
change our ally, not our enemy; seize it as an opportunity, not a threat;
recognize it as a necessity, not an imposition."
"If all of us in this hall together, with the participation of all nations,
large and small, East and West, North and South, can make this organization
leaner, more efficient, and more effective, more responsive to the wishes
and needs of its members and more realistic in its goals and commitments,
then and only then will we serve both this organization's high purpose and
the planet's best interests," Annan said.
The incoming secretary-general said that he intends to "present [his]
independent views to member states for their consideration"; offer his
services as a mediator and intermediary; lead an international civil
service that will be honest, efficient, and independent; and "stress not
only our legal obligations...but above all, the moral dimension of our
work."
A succession of diplomats spoke of Annan's ability and promise.
Security Council President Francesco Fulci of Italy summed up Annan's
reputation, pointing out that many times other secretaries-general put
"assignments of great responsibility and delicacy to the capable hands of
Kofi Annan and time and again he has not disappointed the faith they placed
in him."
As secretary-general, Annan "will no doubt meet and exceed all expectations
and carry out his duties in his most impeccable and impartial way," Fulci
said.
U.S. Ambassador Madeleine Albright said that Annan "has done the difficult
jobs well, with fairness, sound judgment, humor, and no shrinking from
accountability."
"He brings to his new office a wealth of experience, a profound knowledge
of the U.N.'s strengths and weaknesses, and deep dedication to its
success."
Offering the U.S. government's promise "to do our fair share to help,"
Albright said: "We live in an era in which international cooperation is
both more possible and more necessary then ever before.... We have seen the
U.N. profit from lessons learned in peacekeeping and being a process of
reform. And we have today elected an individual of high distinction and
humanity to serve as secretary-general for the next five years."
In his farewell speech, current Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali
paid tribute to his assistant, saying that Annan "served with tenacity,
competence, and great energy."
"I am convinced his varied experience will be useful in solving problems he
will confront and defending the interests of the secretariat and the entire
staff of this organization," Boutros-Ghali said.
Educated in Africa, Europe, and the United States, Annan honed his
knowledge on assignments at U.N. headquarters, Accra, Bosnia, Iraq, Addis
Ababa, Cairo, Geneva, Ismailia, New York.
Annan served as the special representative of the secretary-general to the
former Yugoslavia and the special envoy to NATO throughout the transition
period after the signing of the Dayton Accords.
As liaison between the departing U.N. peacekeeping operation (UNPROFOR) and
the arriving NATO-led multinational force, he earned a reputation as
"someone who understood how to distinguish...between the style of
peacekeeping and war-making bodies like NATO and the U.N. He dealt with
NATO countries with military power in a way that both the U.N. and NATO was
comfortable with," one U.S. diplomat said.
Other U.N. posts include assistant secretary-general for program planning,
budget, and finance; controller; and head of personnel in the office of the
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. He also chaired the Secretariat's
appointment and promotion board and the senior review board, and was a
member of the secretary-general's task force for peacekeeping.
He also was sent by the secretary-general to Iraq to help see what could be
done to repatriate more than 900 international staff members and was
engaged in negotiating for the release of Western hostages and bringing
attention to the plight of more than 500,000 Asians stranded in Kuwait and
Iraq.
Since March 1993 Annan had been undersecretary-general for peacekeeping
affairs. His performance in that post was cited by many as an example of
the work that brought him praise by those who worked with him and
ultimately propelled him to his election to head the U.N.
Personable, accessible, circumspect, diplomatic, and a skilled international
manager are the terms the diplomats used to describe Annan, who did
postgraduate work in economics at the Institut universitaire de hautes
etudes internationales in Geneva and in management at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology.
Annan is currently on the Boards of Trustees of Macalester College in St.
Paul, Minnesota, where he received an undergraduate degree in economics,
and the Institute for the Future in Menlo Park, California.
A thoughtful, well-spoken, knowledgeable senior U.N. official, Annan has
often briefed delegates, journalists, and world leaders on a variety of key
issues over the years.
"He makes a very good presentation about what he believes in, what he
stands for. I think he will be an eloquent spokesman for the kinds of
ideals the United Nations stands for," the U.S. diplomat said.
In appointing Annan, Rizali said: "The General Assembly takes into account
your long record of accomplishment, and your understanding of the needs of
this organization at this critical juncture. You are well known to all of
us. We place our trust in your ability to articulate and defend a vision of
the United Nations that meets the expectations of member states and the
peoples of the world."
Ambassador Daniel Abibi of the Congo, speaking on behalf of the African
states, said that the transfer of responsibility from Boutros-Ghali to
Annan, from one African to another, is "a great day for all sons of Africa"
that will "most definitely leave an indelible stamp on minds of future
generations."
Citing the "incredible enthusiasm" of so many U.N. staff members over the
news of Annan's appointment and "the vigor with which he admirably handled
the management of sensitive issues like Kuwait and Bosnia," Abibi said such
examples "attest to his competence and great hopes for his appointment."
His appointment's "symbolic value is clear to everyone not to despair of
Africa despite current problems because this continent has unsuspected
resources...they are only asking to be used," Abibi said. "It is an
exhortation to Africa to have more perseverance to solve the problems of
the continent."
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