SECRETARY-GENERAL PAYS TRIBUTE TO UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL YASUSHI AKASHI, AS HE COMPLETES 'LONG AND DISTINGUISHED' CAREER WITH UNITED NATIONS
Press Release
SG/SM/6438
SECRETARY-GENERAL PAYS TRIBUTE TO UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL YASUSHI AKASHI, AS HE COMPLETES 'LONG AND DISTINGUISHED' CAREER WITH UNITED NATIONS
19980113 Following is the text of Secretary-General Kofi Annan's statement issued today, paying tribute to Under-Secretary-General Yasushi Akashi as he completes his career with the United Nations:I should like to pay a warm tribute to my friend and colleague, Yasushi Akashi, as he completes a long and distinguished career with the United Nations.
Mr. Akashi first joined the Secretariat as a Political Affairs Officer in 1957. Over the course of these last four decades, both within the United Nations itself and in service of the Government of Japan from 1974-1979, Mr. Akashi has made an important contribution to the furtherance of international peace and security. Both in the field and at Headquarters, he responded to each challenge with tremendous commitment.
From 1979 to 1997, he headed the departments of public information, disarmament affairs and humanitarian affairs, and served as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Cambodia, and for the Former Yugoslavia. Prior to that, Mr. Akashi was Ambassador at the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations. Over the course of his career, Mr. Akashi has worked closely with each Secretary-General, beginning with Dag Hammarskjold.
In addition to the demands he so diligently met on behalf of this Organization, Mr. Akashi has also published six books on the United Nations and its activities, and is the author of numerous articles on international issues. He has been a guest lecturer at a number of universities in the United States, Switzerland and Japan.
Mr. Akashi is now returning to Japan with plans to embark on new endeavours. I wish him every success for the future.
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