Secretary-General, Mourning Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed, Says Veteran Diplomat Was ‘One-of-a-Kind’ Champion of United Nations ‘to His Very Last Breath’
Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s statement on the death of Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed:
I am profoundly saddened at the passing of Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed, who was both my good friend and an outstanding supporter of the United Nations.
Ambassador Reed’s long and distinguished service to the United Nations encompassed four Secretaries-General and many roles, complementing a career in the private sector and the foreign service of the United States.
As President of the Staff Management Coordination Committee, he helped foster relations with the international civil service. He also served as Under-Secretary-General of the then-Department of Political and General Assembly Affairs. One of his most cherished endeavours was the annual celebration of United Nations Day at the Julian Curtiss School in Greenwich, Connecticut, where he brought people together to celebrate the Organization. Ambassador Reed also capably represented me on many occasions at events across the world aimed at promoting global harmony and peace.
His imprint on the United Nations extended to the Headquarters complex itself. As a member of the United Nations Arts Committee, he worked with donors and others to showcase the United Nations collection. As it happens, just yesterday evening, he sent an e-mail to several United Nations colleagues working with him towards a further enhancement of the UN’s physical appearance. With characteristic cheer, he expressed his full support for the idea. I am told that he died peacefully shortly afterwards, and that his e-mail may have been his last act: he was a champion of the United Nations to his very last breath.
Ambassador Reed was one-of-a-kind — a skilled diplomat, a global citizen, an art lover and a dear friend. I offer condolences to his family, and join his admirers across the world in mourning his loss and giving thanks for his life.