Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed to second term.

• Position: Brief Article

On 29 June 2001, as this issue was going to press, Kofi Annan was unanimously reappointed as Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Security Council on 27 June had adopted by acclamation a resolution expressing appreciation for Mr. Annan's "effective and dedicated service" and recommended his reappointment six months before the end of his current mandate. Acting on the Council's recommendation, the General Assembly appointed him for a second five-year term, beginning 1 January 2002 and ending on 31 December 2006. A native of Ghana, Mr. Annan is the seventh Secretary-General and the first elected from the ranks of the United Nations staff.

General Assembly President Harri Holkeri, calling the timely reappointment "a clear testimony of Member States' continued support" for his ideas and actions, saluted the Secretary-General's continued commitment to reform, transforming the Organization into an effectively functioning United Nations with a new management culture. Noting that he had "excelled in office under trying circumstances", Council President Anwarul Karim Chowdhury of Bangladesh said there was no doubt the Secretary-General would continue to carry out his duties in the "most impeccable, impartial and independent way". Mr. Annan had prepared the United Nations to face the challenges of the twenty-first century and had made the Organization more relevant in today's world, broadening its support base by developing partnerships with civil society and the private sector. Ambassador Chowdhury said that besides his strong support for development, the Secretary-General had "made a difference by advocating reason and hope" in response to conflict situations around the world, "promoting the culture of peace and non-violence, often in the midst of hostilities and despair".

Following his reappointment, Mr. Annan said it had been his privilege to serve as Secretary-General at a time of sweeping change and challenges.

He had sought to equip the Organization to adjust to change, rise to new challenges and serve its Member States and their peoples more effectively, while remaining true to the principles of the UN...