United Nations
ON SIGNING ANNE FRANK DECLARATION, SECRETARY-GENERAL NOTES THAT MANY IN UN SYSTEM WORK FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR WELL-BEING OF VULNERABLE CHILDREN
Press Release
SG/SM/6862
ON SIGNING ANNE FRANK DECLARATION, SECRETARY-GENERAL NOTES THAT MANY IN UN SYSTEM WORK FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR WELL-BEING OF VULNERABLE CHILDREN
19990114 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY Following is the text of remarks made today at Headquarters by Secretary-General Kofi Annan on signing the Anne Frank Declaration:Anne Frank perished in the Holocaust, but that descent into evil could not extinguish her completely. Through her diary, an essential part of Anne Frank survived the war. Today, she is an icon of hope admired throughout the world. Hers is an enduring legacy, an answer not only to the cruelty of the Nazis, but also to the brutality of people who, in our time, commit genocide and despicable crimes against humanity.
Anne Frank's eternal words have inspired people of all ages, religions and nationalities, but they resound most powerfully among the young. That is one of the main reasons why the United Nations has taken her message to heart. For whom does the United Nations exist if not for the oppressed and vulnerable children and youth of our world? The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the High Commissioner for Human Rights, my Special Representative on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children: all of us, and many others throughout the United Nations system, work first and foremost for their welfare and their well-being. Their best interests lie at the heart of our global mission.
If Anne Frank, in her living hell, could summon the power to imagine a better, peaceful world, a future free of suffering and persecution, then surely we can summon the will to make that day come to pass. In that spirit, I am pleased to add my name to the list of those who have signed this Declaration, and to express my gratitude to the Anne Frank Educational Trust and all others who are making this effort possible.
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