Linked to the development of UN location City of Bonn pays tribute to Kofi Annan’s commitment

Bonn · Kofi Annan was a “committed supporter of the UN location” in Bonn. The city is paying tribute to the long-standing Secretary-General of the United Nations, who died on Saturday at the age of 80.

The city of Bonn has paid tribute to Kofi Annan as a “committed supporter of the UN location on the Rhine.” As city spokesperson Monika Hörig further explained, Annan had “helped set the stage for Bonn’s unique image.” The development of Bonn as a German UN city began during his time in office. Annan was present in Berlin in 2002 when the corresponding document, the Bellevue Contract, was signed.

In 2006, he inaugurated the UN Campus with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. At the time he described Bonn as, “one of the most attractive and rewarding United Nations employment locations,” Hörig recalled. “Kofi Annan will forever remain associated with the extremely successful development of Bonn as a UN location and as such is assured of a place in the history of the city and in the hearts of the men and women of Bonn,” Hörig continued.

Grateful for the support

NRW Minister President Armin Laschet called Annan a “great friend of Bonn.” In a 2006 GA interview, Annan said of the prospects for the UN city: “I am very grateful for Germany’s support and for the efforts to accommodate existing institutions. Should we need to look for a location for a new UN entity in the future, I think the United Nations would gladly consider Bonn.”

(Original text: Bernd Eyermann / Translation: kc)

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