Annan says memory of those killed on 11 September should serve to inspire better world
10 September – The memory of those who died nearly a year ago in the terrorist attacks against the United States should
serve to inspire a better, more just and more peaceful world, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan says in a
message commemorating the events of 11 September.
Mr. Annan calls the anniversary "a day to recall the loss of those who died trying to escape the fire, and the sacrifice
of those who died rushing into it. A day to recall the lives of citizens from every part of the world who met danger and
death without warning, without cause, without a chance. A day to recall the spirit of unity that seized the world that
day - from New York to Tehran to Berlin to Beijing - in the face of unimaginable horror."
The Secretary-General also notes that there could have been no greater affront to the spirit and purpose of the UN than
the terrorist attacks. "Everything that we work for - peace, development, health, freedom - is damaged by this horror,"
he says. "Everything that we believe in - respect for human life, justice, tolerance, pluralism and democracy - is
threatened by it. It must be defeated - by the world acting as one."
As part of tomorrow's schedule of events, the Secretary-General is slated to attend four ceremonies commemorating 11
September, including an interfaith service at St. Bartholomew's Church and a ceremony of remembrance at the UN's
Headquarters, where he is expected to make a statement. Also scheduled to speak are the President of the General
Assembly, Jan Kavan of the Czech Republic, and Ambassador John Negroponte of the United States, as well as selected UN
personnel.
Afterwards, the Secretary-General is scheduled to attend a high-level open meeting of the Security Council convened to
pay tribute to the memory of victims of the terrorist acts. The meeting will be chaired by President Georgi Purvanov of
Bulgaria, which holds the 15-member body's rotating presidency, and is expected to hear statements from US Secretary of
State Colin Powell and Mr. Annan.
The Secretary-General is scheduled to conclude his day tomorrow evening by attending a ceremony organized by the City of
New York.
ENDS