Speech by SRSG Ameerah Haq

17 Mar 2010

Speech by SRSG Ameerah Haq

Dili, 17 March 2010 - Airport Farewell for the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Takahisa Kawakami.

To the representatives of the Government and Parliament of Timor-Leste, and of the Japanese mission to Timor-Leste, United Nations colleagues, Mrs. Chieko Kawakami, Miss Mao Kawakami,

It is with great sadness that we are gathered here today to bid farewell to our dear colleague, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General Takahisa Kawakami. This is a loss felt deeply by all of us, but we cannot imagine how difficult it must be for his beloved wife Chieko and daughter Mao. Yet even within this sadness we must take comfort in having had the privilege of knowing and working with such a dedicated professional, one who devoted his life to the highest ideals of the United Nations, to human rights, tolerance, justice and international peace.

He had a distinguished career with the United Nations, both in the field and at headquarters. Prior to joining UNMIT in September 2008, he held important positions with UN missions in Afghanistan and Cambodia, and also served with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations at United Nations Headquarters from 1995 to 2000, during which time he played an important role in the establishment of UNTAET in 1999. He also served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, posted to the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations in New York from 1987 to 1991 and 2003 to 2007.

Takahisa always felt a special connection to Timor-Leste. He devoted a great deal of his time and energy to the process of police resumption, along with overseeing our efforts in security sector reform. During his time here, his enthusiasm and optimism for the future of Timor-Leste were obvious. He loved the people and the natural beauty of this country.

Dear Takahisa, today we bid you farewell, as a friend and colleague. We are glad that Chieko and Mao can see how respected and admired you were. Our tribute to you is that we will carry your memory with us – your generosity of spirit and your dedication to building a better world.

Farewell, dear friend.