Summit of Future ‘an Opportunity to Embrace Spirit of Dag Hammarskjöld’s Work’, Improve Multilateralism, Says Secretary-General, at Wreath-Laying Ceremony
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at a wreath‑laying ceremony to commemorate the sixty-third anniversary of the death of Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, in New York today:
On the sixty-third anniversary of Dag Hammarskjöld’s death, we come together, to remember:
A man of integrity, humility, courage and skill; a man committed to the United Nations, dedicated to the Charter and devoted to peace.
We pay tribute to him today, and to all those United Nations staff who died with him. Their families deserve answers. Pursuing the full truth is our solemn duty.
I thank former Chief Justice of Tanzania, Mohamed Chande Othman, for his continued investigation into their deaths. I will keep doing everything I can do to support his work, including engaging with Member States. And I call on them to release any relevant research and records in their possession.
Let us renew our resolve and commitment to pursue the full truth of what happened on that fateful night in 1961.
Dag Hammarskjöld is no longer with us. But the ideals that drove him are ours to pursue: peace, justice and shared humanity. Effective multilateralism and common cause.
Around the world, war is rife — ripping lives and communities apart and taking a terrible toll on United Nations staff. We have lost more colleagues in the past 12 months than during any other period on record in our Organization’s history.
Our international institutions are creaking. But the Summit of the Future later this month is an opportunity to embrace the spirit of Dag Hammarskjöld’s work, and reform our multilateral institutions so they are fit to pursue peace in our changing world.
Let us follow his example, take this chance, and keep our gaze fixed on the promise of a world of peace and prosperity for all.
I would like to ask all of you to join me in a moment of silence, paying tribute to Dag Hammarskjöld.