UN chief: Dag Hammarskjöld ‘set the highest standard for public service’ 

Mr. Hammarskjöld was appointed Secretary-General successful 1953, at just 47, still the youngest idiosyncratic to ever hold the UN’s apical job. On 18 September 1961, during his 2nd term, he died connected a level crash while en route to negociate a ceasefire in the Congo.  

This year’s peculiar commemoration recognized Mr. Hammarskjöld’s achievements, paid tribute to his ultimate sacrifice, and reflected on his enduring legacy.  

Man of action 

For Mr. Guterres, the Swedish diplomat “is a notation and inspiration.” 

He recalled that “his contented and humanity, his unimpeachable integrity and single-minded devotion to work acceptable the highest modular for nationalist service.” 

“He was much than a idiosyncratic of enactment and deft diplomat; helium was a idiosyncratic of immense culture, of superb and delicate intellect. And it was this heavy and wide passionateness for civilization that helped signifier him arsenic the starring diplomat of his generation,” Mr. Guterres said.   

Remembering that Mr. Hammarskjöld could speak some half twelve languages, the UN main said he was “perhaps astir fluent successful the connection of our communal humanity – recognizing diverseness arsenic richness, promoting dialogue, tolerance, and communal understanding.”  

He added that the Swedish diplomat had championed some of the Organisation’s key ideals that have endured agelong aft his death, specified arsenic placing quality rights astatine the centre and focusing connected prevention, saying they “remain guiding lights pointing the UN existent north.”  

Vision and progress 

Former UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld successful March 1954, by UN Photo/MB

During his 2 terms, Dag Hammarskjöld presided implicit the instauration of the archetypal UN peacekeeping forces successful Egypt and the Congo and intervened to defuse oregon resoluteness diplomatic crises. 

Speaking astatine the aforesaid event, the President of the General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir, said he "revolutionized the Secretariat, creating a nonrecreational people of autarkic planetary civilian servants committed to gathering the needs of the radical we serve."

For the person of the General Assembly, Mr. Hammarskjöld "took connected a on a relation which galore considered to beryllium an intolerable job."

"However, helium acceptable retired to stock his content successful the capableness of the United Nations to prevention succeeding generations from the scourge of war.role which galore considered to beryllium an intolerable job," Bozkir added. 

Mr. Guterres said helium “had a imaginativeness for the UN to go some the measurement and the conveyance of humanity’s astir generous impulses”, and advanced it successful applicable ways.  

Finally, the UN main remembered however Mr. Hammarskjöld nurtured and sharpened the UN’s work to act, in times of crisis, connected the ground, closest to the people the organisation serves, and who trust connected it most.  

Later successful the day, astatine a wreath laying ceremonial astatine the UN Headquarters successful New York, Mr. Guterres said that Mr. Hammarskjöld’s legacy lives connected to this day, “in the powerfulness of his example, as a notation for compassionate, courageous leadership, as a benchmark for integrity and idealism; and arsenic a modular for selfless service. “ 

Looking ahead to the caller league of the General Assembly, starting later in the month, the UN chief called on the planetary assemblage to “build connected his bonzer legacy”.