UN chief mourns death of Peter Sutherland

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday mourned the death of Peter Sutherland, who served as special representative of the UN chief for international migration for more than a decade.

"Peter Sutherland rendered indispensable service to the United Nations. He was fearless and forceful in his advocacy for some of the world's most vulnerable people," said Guterres in a statement.

Sutherlands' efforts were crucial in establishing the Global Forum on Migration and Development, in ensuring that migrants and refugees were represented in the Sustainable Development Goals, in the convening of the first ever UN summit on migrants and refugees in September 2016, and in the inclusion of the International Organization for Migration in the UN family, said Guterres.

Sutherland, an Irishman, was special representative of the UN secretary-general for international migration between 2006 and 2017.

Sutherland had served as Attorney General of Ireland, European commissioner for Competition Policy, founding director-general of the World Trade Organisation, and former chairman of Goldman Sachs International, as well as other business executive positions.

He died in Dublin on Sunday at the age of 71. Enditem