I was humbled by the opportunity to work with Annan, though indirectly, and to witness his able leadership of the UN when I  was a junior diplomat at the Indonesian Permanent Mission to the UN in New York in 2000 – 2004.

One matter that preoccupied Annan most during the first years of his responsibility was the scar of the 1994 Rwanda genocide and the 1995 Sebrenica massacre. He was fully aware of the growing criticism from the international community against the UN for its failure to prevent the calamities. The consequences of the two horrific events were traumatic and deeply troubling the international community.

While the memory of the two tragedies was still fresh, Annan was confronted by an unfolding situation in Kosovo in 1999. It was the situation that Annan believed could lead to a deplorable situation like that in Rwanda and Sebrenica. This development had forced Annan to boldly put forward an idea of the two concepts of sovereignty in September 1999.

Annan believed that in addition to state sovereignty, the foundation of states as instruments at the service of their peoples, and not vice versa, is aimed at protecting individual human rights, not at protecting those who abuse them. This individual sovereignty must therefore be upheld and respected.

At the same time, Annan also more openly raised the so-called humanitarian intervention to the spotlight of the international community. A move that would inevitably further challenge the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that the UN member states fiercely advocate.

Member states clearly opposed Annan’s proposal. From the beginning Annan knew this risk. But he spared no effort to improve the operational capacity of the UN in preventing human catastrophe. Accordingly, in March 2000 Annan established a Panel on UN Peace Operations—known as the Brahimi Panel as it was chaired by Algerian seasoned diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi.

The Panel produced the Brahimi Report that underlined among others the urgent need for the UN peacekeeping operations to be effective, reflecting the UN’s ability to help a community, country or region to avert conflict or to end violence. As one of the major troop contributing countries to the UN peacekeeping operations, Indonesia was actively involved in the consideration of the Brahimi Report at the UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations.

While the UN peacekeeping operations kept gaining improvements since the adoption of the recommendations of the Brahimi Panel, humanitarian intervention remained contentious. It, however, continues to be pertinent despite constant opposition from states and governments. Many quarters today keep calling for the UN application of the idea, within the mandate of the UN Security Council, along with the concept of the responsibility to protect (R2P), especially within prolonging conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

Furthermore, Annan also placed great importance to the needs of both developing and developed nations, the significance of peace—not only a durable but also a just one -- and the urgency to drive the UN to live up to its mandate.

Annan envisioned a world in which humankind is liberated from underdevelopment, extreme poverty, vicious and violent conflicts, hunger, diseases, illiteracy, inhumane treatment and natural calamity. On April 3, 2000, the secretary-general presented his Millennium Report, a basis for a negotiation of the Millennium Declaration that was adopted in September 2000.

The Declaration outlines the historic Millennium Development Goals, of which realization within 15 years aimed for national and global prosperity and progress. The international community is now embarking on yet another historic 15 year-journey to materialize 17 goals of the Sustainable Development Goals.

When Annan introduced the Millennium Report, Indonesia was president of the UN’s Economic and Social Council.  Indonesia played a critical role in the negotiation of the Millennium Declaration. One important contribution that Indonesia made was tasking the UN to ensure that all nations benefit from the progress of information and communication technologies (ICT). This paragraph in the Declaration lays a critical foundation for the bridging of the global digital divide, the development of global ICT governance, and the inclusion of ICT as catalyst for social, economic and political progress.

As a young diplomat at the UN then, one thing I admired and learned from Annan was the art of public speaking.  His public speaking style set a new high bar of speech writing and delivery. He always spoke with clarity of idea and articulation, with suavity and composure reflecting a sense of sharpness, authority, intelligence, compassion and vision.

For everyone who has served with him, or has been touched by his work, Annan will always be in their hearts and minds. With the world today getting more complex, the UN needs to do more, and we need to capitalize on Annan’s legacy towards a more peaceful, stable, prosperous and just world.

***

The writer is Head of the Center for Education and Training at the Foreign Ministry. The views are personal.

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