40 years after Skopje earthquake, Annan recalls global solidarity in reconstructing city

Forty years after a massive earthquake struck Skopje and left 1,000 dead and three-quarters of the city’s inhabitants homeless, Secretary-General Kofi Annan recalled the resiliency of its people and the outpouring of international support that helped in the reconstruction of the capital of The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

“It is a testament to your resilience, and to your country's spirit of multilateralism, that you have transformed the fortieth anniversary of this catastrophe into an opportunity to pay tribute to the international support that was offered at that time,” the Secretary-General said in a message delivered on Saturday in Skopje on his behalf by Frode Mauring, UN Resident Coordinator for The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

In the days after the earthquake, 35 nations asked the UN General Assembly to put relief for Skopje on its agenda, and a campaign directed at national governments and international agencies began to identify resources to assist in recovery efforts, the Secretary-General recalled. “As the General Assembly stated in Resolution 1882 of 14 October 1963, the spirit of international solidarity demonstrated in the aftermath of the Skopje earthquake transformed the reconstruction effort into a symbol of friendship and brotherhood among peoples,” he said.

By the beginning of 1964, an international consultative board, jointly appointed by the United Nations and the Yugoslav Government, had been established to support national and international reconstruction efforts. In addition, four projects were put in place, which formed the basis of United Nations technical assistance.

“The United Nations is proud of the role it played in shaping the reconstruction of Skopje, in particular through the Special Fund and Skopje Urban Plan projects,” the Secretary-General said. “I am also pleased that, following a recommendation from the consultative board, the Institute of Earthquake Engineering, Engineering Seismology and Urban Planning (IZIIS) was established in 1965, and that UNESCO played a part in assisting local authorities to bring this about. The Institute is today recognized as a leader in earthquake research, urban planning and disaster management.

“More recently, your country has been affected by the fault lines of political upheaval and ethnic conflict, both next door and at home,” the message concluded. “The United Nations again joined hands with you to try to prevent violence, to minimize humanitarian suffering and to promote post-conflict stability. Your country, and the region, continues along the challenging path of transition. The United Nations will remain engaged in supporting you along that path.”