UN chief lays wreath in memory of Dag Hammarskjold

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on Tuesday laid a wreath in memory of the second UN secretary-general, Dag Hammarskjold, who died 54 years ago just hours before the opening of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York.

"All these years later, we remain inspired every day by his integrity, intelligence and idealism," said Ban at the ceremony.

"The anniversary of his death provides us a valuable chance to remember his many accomplishments," said Ban. "Even more important, to share them with succeeding generations."

Hammarskjold was on his way to negotiate a ceasefire when his plane crashed over Zambia -- then Northern Rhodesia -- on Sept. 18, 1961, killing him and 15 other passengers.

Ban has appointed a panel of experts to re-examine the circumstances of the plane crash that killed Hammarskjold.

"In this 70th anniversary year of the United Nations, establishing the truth of what happened on that fateful night would be a fitting tribute to the former secretary-general and all those who lost their lives on a mission of peace," he said.

Hammarskjold -- along with Kofi Annan -- is one of only two UN secretaries-general to have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1961, Hammarskjold was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize posthumously. From 1974, the Statutes of the Nobel Foundation stipulate that a Nobel Prize cannot be awarded posthumously.

Sweden's Ambassador to the UN Olof Skoog spoke about the lasting memories many Swedes have of Hammarskjold, who was from Sweden. Speaking at the ceremony Skoog described the day Hammarskjold died as Sweden's "John F Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela moment."

The wreath laying ceremony coincided with the opening of the UN General Assembly's 70th annual session on Tuesday afternoon. Enditem