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United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, whose five-year tenure has been marked by slow but steady reform of the world body to make it more responsive to the changing world, was appointed for a second term Friday by the General Assembly, the main legislative body of the UN.
The appointment followed a unanimous decision by the Security Council on June 27 to recommend a second term for Annan.
Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN and President of the Council, said that Annan had exceeded all expectations that surrounded his initial appointment.
“He has excelled in his office, delivering under trying circumstances,” Chowdhury said while introducing the draft resolution recommending Annan's second term, which will be between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2006.
“He has made the United Nations more relevant in today’s world, broadening its support base by developing partnerships with civil society and the private sector in particular,” Chowdhury said.
Besides, Annan has made a “difference by advocating reason and hope” in response to conflict situations around the world, Chowdhury said.
In his own turn, Annan said that he had worked to equip the UN to adjust to new challenges and serve the world more effectively, even while recognising its failures.
“I have sought to speak out in defense of those who cannot speak for themselves – for the right of the poorest to development and the right of the weakest and most vulnerable to protection,” Annan said.
“Whether, or how far, I have succeeded in these aims is not for me to judge,” the secretary-general said, adding, “I do know, however, that the task is far from done.”
The representative from Oman, speaking on behalf of Asian nations, said that Annan had never shied away from taking bold decisions in times of crisis, when he felt that his intervention would help defuse tensions.
“He brings a wealth of experience in dealing with multilateral issues,” The Oman representative said.
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