Bill Clinton: “Kofi Annan To Be Secretary-General December 13, 1996 I'm delighted by today's vote in the United Nations Security…”

“Kofi Annan To Be Secretary-General December 13, 1996 I'm delighted by today's vote in the United Nations Security Council selecting Kofi Annan of Ghana to be the new U.N. Secretary-General. We are hopeful that the General Assembly will concur with the Security Council early next week. Through his decades of work at the United Nations and in the international arena, Kofi Annan has established excellent working relations with many countries, including the United States. Over the last 4 years as U.N. Under Secretary for Peacekeeping and throughout his impressive career, he has proven himself an able and energetic manager-- professional, impartial, well-versed in the issues at hand, and a true proponent of reform. We are confident he will take concrete steps to inspire the world to support the U.N., inspire the U.N. to live up to its ideals, and transform those ideals into action. Since its founding more than half a century ago, the United Nations has been a vehicle for peace and progress that has served the interests of America and the world. Since taking office, I have worked hard with Congress to sustain America's support for the United Nations. Precisely because we believe in the United Nations, my administration has also led the fight for far-reaching U.N. reform. To meet the challenges of the 21st century, the U.N.…”