United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan credits his staff as a major factor in winning of this year's Nobel Peace Prize.
The prize was awarded equally to the United Nations as an institution and to Mr. Annan as its leader. But speaking to the staff at U.N. headquarters, the Secretary-General made it clear the staff deserves most of the credit. "This is an indispensable organization, and an organization that can only work because of the staff and your dedication," he said. "Our staff is often on the front lines. In the past week alone we have lost about 10 colleagues in Georgia and in Afghanistan. Yet, our staff keeps at it. They are prepared to go to any corner of the world in the service of peace and the work of the United Nations."
Mr. Annan said that any success that the United Nations may have had in promoting world peace and security is because of the work of the staff.
"Who knows?" Mr. Annan told his staff, "if you keep at it, maybe some of you will see another peace prize." Then, to cheers from the U.N. staff, the Secretary-General the Secretary-General said "we better go back to work."