SECRETARY-GENERAL PRAISES UNDERSTANDING, DEDICATION, COMPASSION OF UN STAFF IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Press Release
SG/SM/7167

SECRETARY-GENERAL PRAISES UNDERSTANDING, DEDICATION, COMPASSION OF UN STAFF IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Following are the remarks of Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH) staff in Sarajevo on 11 October:

It is a real pleasure to be with you today in Sarajevo. Ever since becoming Secretary-General, I have wanted to return to this city and this mission -- to thank you for your tireless efforts on behalf of Bosnia, and to tell the Bosnians that the United Nations commitment to their future remains as strong as ever.

Looking at this group, I recognize among you many friends and colleagues who served in other missions in the former Yugoslavia. These were missions which saw great danger and deprivation, and required of you extraordinary sacrifices in the service of the people of this tortured region.

Today, UNMIBH serves two critical purposes: helping to improve and integrate the police; and serving as a political advocate for coexistence, tolerance and cooperation at all levels of society.

Whether you are serving in Sarajevo or in one of the United Nations offices throughout Bosnia, you are the face of the United Nations. Through your efforts, your understanding, your dedication and your compassion, the people of this country will see a renewed United Nations dedicated to bringing peace with justice to a revitalized Bosnia. That is your privilege and your obligation. We are all in your debt.

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