Annan epitomized a UN chief who was an enduring voice of peace

UN and European leaders on Saturday paid their tributes to former secretary general of the United Nations (UN) Kofi Annan, who passed away on the day at the age of 80 in a Swiss hospital.

In a mourning statement issued immediately after Annan’s passing, UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres described Annan as “a guiding force for good,” saying that “in many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations.”

Michael Moller, DirectorGeneral of the UN Office at Geneva, said that with the passing of Annan, “Humanity has lost its strong moral voice, and I lost my mentor, my role model and great friend.”

“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,” he said.

Joining the UN system in 1962 as an administrative and budget officer with the World Health Organization in Geneva, Annan spent much of his life in this Swiss city, including being as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and later as the head of the Kofi Annan Foundation.

“Since the 1980s, when he worked in Geneva until his last years he remained an enduring voice on behalf of refugees and all who are oppressed,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said.

In him, the millions worldwide forced to flee wars and persecution had a constant champion at the highest international levels, Grandi added.

For UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, Annan was “irreplaceable” and “humanity’s best example and the epitome of human decency and grace.”

Audrey Azoulay, DirectorGeneral of UNESCO, called Annan as “a great defender of peace,” saying that he was the very embodiment of peace and of a resolutely modern vision of the UN.

“His conviction that a culture of peace should be developed was fully in line with the mandate and daily commitment of UNESCO,” she said.

While mourning Annan, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that Annan, as an old friend and inspiration for him, had devoted his life to making the world a more peaceful and united place.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday also paid tribute to the former UN chief, saying that the world will never forget his calm and resolute approach to matters, nor the strength of his commitments.

“France pays tribute to him,” Macron wrote on his Twitter account.

A statement released by the office of Italian President Sergio Mattarella said that with Annan’s demise, the international community lost a landmark figure, and the UN lost a former leader of peace, human rights and sustainable development.

British Prime Minister Theresa May also expressed her sadness at Annan’s death.

Saying that Annan was a great leader and reformer of the UN, the British prime minister said that Annan had made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into.

The article is from the Xinhua News Agency. opinion@ globaltimes.com.cn