Saddened by Death of Queen Elizabeth II, Secretary-General Pays Tribute to Her Unwavering, Life-long Dedication Serving United Kingdom, Commonwealth

The following statement by UN Secretary-General António Guterres was issued today:

I am deeply saddened at the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.  I extend my sincere condolences to her bereaved family, the Government and people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the wider Commonwealth of Nations.

As the United Kingdom's longest-lived and longest-reigning Head of State, Queen Elizabeth II was widely admired for her grace, dignity and dedication around the world.  She was a reassuring presence throughout decades of sweeping change, including the decolonization of Africa and Asia, and the evolution of the Commonwealth.

Queen Elizabeth II was a good friend of the United Nations and visited our New York Headquarters twice, more than 50 years apart.  She was deeply committed to many charitable and environmental causes and spoke movingly to delegates at the COP26 [twenty-sixth conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change] climate talks in Glasgow.

I would like to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II for her unwavering, life‑long dedication to serving her people.  The world will long remember her devotion and leadership.