Tributes flowed in following the announcement of the death of the former United Nations secretary general, Kofi Annan, on Saturday 18 August.
“The world mourns a great leader and humanitarian but celebrates a life full of courage, empathy and remarkable public service”, said European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in a statement. In his view, Annan “devoted his life to making the world a more peaceful and united place”. He added “He fought to end suffering and injustices across the world and helped to rebuild bridges where they had been destroyed”.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said, for her part, that the 2001 Nobel Prize winner had been “one of the greatest men of our times” who “dedicated his life to defending peace and human rights”. Mogherini said that Annan was a “staunch supporter of multilateralism and fought against racism, social exclusion and intolerance”.
Mogherini and Juncker both felt there is “no other way” to truly pay tribute to his legacy than by continuing to defend those very same ideals and to keep Annan’s legacy and spirit alive. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)