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LequteMan
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The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon , speaking with journalists at the UN Headquarters in New York on Thursday expressed sadness over the death of South Africa’s former President, Nelson Mandela, whom he described as a singular figure on the global stage.
According to him, Mandela is a man of quiet dignity and towering achievement, a giant for justice and a down-to-earth human inspiration’’.
He noted that many around the world were greatly influenced by his selfless struggle for human dignity, equality and freedom.
“He touched our lives in deeply personal ways. At the same time, no one did more in our time to advance the values and aspirations of the United Nations.
“Nelson Mandela devoted his life to the service of his people and humanity, and he did so at great personal sacrifice.
“His principled stance and the moral force that underpinned it were decisive in dismantling the system of apartheid,’’ Ban said.
He noted that remarkably, Mandela emerged from 27 years of detention without rancour, determined to build a new South Africa based on dialogue and understanding.
“The Truth and Reconciliation Commission established under his leadership remains a model for achieving justice in societies confronting a legacy of human rights abuses.
“In the decades-long fight against apartheid, the United Nations stood side-by-side with Nelson Mandela and all those in South Africa who faced unrelenting racism and discrimination.
“His 1994 address to the General Assembly as the first democratically elected president of a free South Africa was a defining moment.
“The Assembly has declared July 18, his birthday, ``Nelson Mandela International Day’’, an annual observance on which we recognise and seek to build on his contributions to promoting a culture of peace and freedom around the world.
According to him, Mandela is a man of quiet dignity and towering achievement, a giant for justice and a down-to-earth human inspiration’’.
He noted that many around the world were greatly influenced by his selfless struggle for human dignity, equality and freedom.
“He touched our lives in deeply personal ways. At the same time, no one did more in our time to advance the values and aspirations of the United Nations.
“Nelson Mandela devoted his life to the service of his people and humanity, and he did so at great personal sacrifice.
“His principled stance and the moral force that underpinned it were decisive in dismantling the system of apartheid,’’ Ban said.
He noted that remarkably, Mandela emerged from 27 years of detention without rancour, determined to build a new South Africa based on dialogue and understanding.
“The Truth and Reconciliation Commission established under his leadership remains a model for achieving justice in societies confronting a legacy of human rights abuses.
“In the decades-long fight against apartheid, the United Nations stood side-by-side with Nelson Mandela and all those in South Africa who faced unrelenting racism and discrimination.
“His 1994 address to the General Assembly as the first democratically elected president of a free South Africa was a defining moment.
“The Assembly has declared July 18, his birthday, ``Nelson Mandela International Day’’, an annual observance on which we recognise and seek to build on his contributions to promoting a culture of peace and freedom around the world.