UN holds memorial service for late Secretary-General Annan

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02:41

As the world mourns the late Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who passed away on Saturday, the United Nations in New York paid tribute to the Ghanaian diplomat often described as the heart and soul of the organization.

A solemn wreath-laying ceremony kicked off the day at UN headquarters, where current Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remembered the late statesman, diplomat, and gentleman as both a friend and mentor and a guiding force for good.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres signs the Condolence Book of 7th UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in the UN Headquarters in New York, August 22, 2018. /VCG Photo

“His most defining features were his humanity and solidarity with those in need,” said Guterres to the diplomats and UN staff members who attended the event.

“He put people at the center of the work of the United Nations, and was able to turn compassion into action across the UN system.”

Annan began his career with the United Nations in 1962, when he was just 24 years old. Over 35 years, he rose through its ranks to the highest position, serving as secretary-general between 1997 and 2006.

Guterres was picked by Annan as UN High Commissioner for Refugees in 2005 before he himself became UN secretary-general in 2017.

“I remember the first time I met him,” said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, who joined Annan’s team in 2005.

Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. /VCG Photo

“My boss at the time Fred Eckhard introduced me to him quickly as he was coming into the building, and then I remember feeling overwhelmed by the fact that this man -- a very powerful man -- just took a few minutes to meet his junior staff member, and from that moment on I felt very much at home and at ease with him.”

It was that humility and approachability that endeared him within the walls of the UN, and his gentle diplomacy that inspired the world.

“I think people will remember him for the enormous amount of reform that we saw during his tenure as secretary-general,” said Natalie Samarasinghe, Executive Director of the United Nations Association in the United Kingdom.

“The creation of the Human Rights Council, of the Peacebuilding Commission, the adoption of what we now consider flagship initiatives of the UN — the Millennium Development Goals, most prominently.“

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks after signing the Condolence Book of 7th UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in the UN Headquarters in New York, August 22, 2018. /VCG Photo

But Annan’s tenure also saw some of the darkest moments in UN history. The failure of the UN to prevent genocides in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s had permanently scarred the organization.

“Kofi Annan was not perfect,” according to Louis Charbonneau, UN Director for Human Rights Watch in New York, and previously the UN bureau chief for Reuters. "And in his period before he became secretary-general in 1997 -- before that he was the Under-Secretary-General for peacekeeping -- and during that time, the Rwanda situation happened."

"They had information the genocide was unfolding. They had information from the field and they did not right the alarm bells and run to the Security Council," said Charbonneau.

Those who knew Annan say he had taken these failures very personally, and tried to atone for them, especially for Rwanda.

The United Nations flag is at half mast in memory of former Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, August 20, 2018. /VCG Photo

After leaving the post of secretary-general, Annan continued his humanitarian and peacemaking work, brokering a peace deal in Kenya, serving as the UN-Arab League envoy to Syria, and leading an advisory commission to investigate Myanmar’s Rohingya crisis.

Described as a true voice for the voiceless, current UN chief Guterres said Annan did not shy away from the most challenging issues but worked creatively to bridge differences and protect the most vulnerable.

“In these times of growing political divides and intractable conflicts, we need the peacemaking spirit of Kofi Annan more than ever.”