Annan hails US diplomat and philanthropist for educating public about UN

Secretary-General Kofi Annan has praised John C. Whitehead, a former Chairman of the United Nations Association of the United States as well as US Deputy Secretary of State, as a "true internationalist who served his country by serving the world."

Speaking on Tuesday evening at a dedication ceremony for the John C. Whitehead School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University, the Secretary-General commended the former diplomat for working tirelessly "to inform and educate the US public about the work of the UN, and to influence the US Government to make better use of the Organization."

"At some of its most challenging times," the Secretary-General said, Mr. Whitehead "passionately led the charge to defend and support the very idea of the United Nations."