SECRETARY-GENERAL ‘DEEPLY SADDENED’ AT DEATH OF RICHARD CONROY,

UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR IN TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Richard Conroy, the United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Tashkent, in a plane crash in Uzbekistan.

A dedicated and indefatigable international civil servant, Mr. Conroy had an exceptionally distinguished career in the United Nations.  He began his service in Uzbekistan two weeks before 11 September 2001, and was immediately plunged into one of the most challenging periods in the history of the region.  It was his steadfast efforts that led to the opening of the Friendship Bridge to Afghanistan, allowing for crucial provisions to flow in from the Uzbek border town of Termez -- the town he was returning from yesterday when the plane he was travelling on crashed on landing in Tashkent.  Throughout Mr. Conroy’s mission in Uzbekistan, and during his other highly demanding assignments in India, Sri Lanka and China, Mr. Conroy displayed unwavering integrity, professionalism, judgement and courage.  The Secretary-General remembers with gratitude the support and expertise provided by Mr. Conroy during the Secretary-General’s visit to Uzbekistan in October 2002. He extends his profound condolences to Mr. Conroy’s wife and family.

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