SECRETARY-GENERAL, IN GENEVA, THANKS STAFF FOR SUPPORT
Press Release
SG/SM/6488/Rev.1*
SECRETARY-GENERAL, IN GENEVA, THANKS STAFF FOR SUPPORT
19980317 The following statement was made this morning by Secretary-General Kofi Annan upon arrival at the Palais des Nations, where he was met by a large gathering of the staff of the United Nations Office at Geneva:Good morning my friends. This is a real homecoming.
Let me first of all tell you how happy I am to be back home to see so many friends. As I travel around the world it becomes clearer and clearer to me what a universal and a united family the United Nations is, whether it is in Baghdad, Luanda or Bosnia. Wherever I go, there is a family like you to receive me and to welcome me.
The past month, we had the chance to do something that was significant for the world and the United Nations. I had the chance as a servant of this Organization to go to Baghdad to engage the Iraqi leadership and, in particular, President Saddam Hussein, to avoid tragedy, to avoid loss of life and to convince him to respect United Nations resolutions, that is Security Council resolutions. I know that while I was there, on that difficult task, you were all with me, supporting me, praying for me and rooting for peace. At the end of the day, diplomacy won. Of course, as I said, it was also backed up by firmness and a military presence. But the best way, in my judgment as an old peacekeeper, to use force is to show force in order not to have to use it.
So my friends, I am very, very pleased by the warm welcome you have given me. Every time I come to Geneva I feel as though I were at home. I feel at home because I lived here for many years and because I have many friends at the Palais and in the city. Once more let me thank you for all your support when I was in Baghdad.
Thank you my friends.
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* Revised to incorporate translation from the French part of the statement.