ASIAN FEDERATION AGAINST
INVOLUNTARY DISAPPEARANCES (AFAD)
Rooms 310-311 Philippine Social Science Center Bldg.
Commonwealth Ave., Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
Telefax: 00-63-2-4546759 Telephone: 00-63-2-9274594
Website: http://www.afad-online.org
January 10, 2008
HIS EXCELLENCY AMBASSADOR GERARD CHESNEL
Embassy of France
Manila, Philippines
His Excellency Chesnel,
Warmest
greetings for the New Year!
As the year 2008 enters,
we are profoundly grieved by the sad news about the untimely death of
His Excellency Ambassador Bernard Kessedjian, former Chairperson of the
then United Nations Inter-sessional Working Group to Elaborate a Draft
Legally-binding Normative Instrument for the Protection of All Persons
from Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.
The three-year negotiation
process for the then draft treaty was triumphantly concluded in Room X11
of Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland through the late
Ambassador's excellent and very able leadership. His mastery of
the subject matter, his photographic memory, his unparalled diplomatic
skill to wield unity in the midst of the diversity of positions of
various members of the then United Nations Commission on Human Rights
vis-ŕ-vis the then draft treaty and most of all, his heart for the
families of the disappeared - all these had contributed to bringing to a
successful conclusion the whole drafting process and to the finalization
of the text of the United Nations Convention for the Protection of All
Persons from enforced or Involuntary Disappearance on September 22,
2006.
The last time we
personally met him was on February 7, 2007 during the historic signing
by 57 governments of the treaty against enforced disappearances.
The announcement of every government signifying its intention to sign
the treaty was a hard-earned reward for his indefatigable struggle to
give birth to the final text of the convention which was adopted without
a vote by the United Nations General Assembly on the 20th of December
2006 in New York.
The death of His
Excellency Ambassador Bernard Kessedjian, who championed the cause of
the disappeared and their families, is indeed, a great loss to the
international movement against enforced disappearances. The whole
world, especially the families of the disappeared terribly miss him -
his commitment to the disappeared and their families, his extraordinary
leadership ability and intelligence and his unequalled capacity to wield
unity amidst conflicting positions of UN member-states and, lest we
forget, his good sense of humor. How could we ever thank him very
much for the great gift to humanity, i.e. the United Nations Convention
for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances he had
bestowed upon thousands upon thousands of families of the disappeared
all over the country. No words can say.
We express our sincerest
condolences to the wife of the late His Excellency Bernard Kessedjian
for the demise of a man who spent his life so that others may life.
May she find comfort in his exemplary life and in the great legacy he
left behind. We likewise condole the government of France for the
loss of a very dedicated and able Ambassador, colleague and friend.
Our hearts literally ache and our tears shed profusely for the death of
a man who had left an indelible legacy to all the disappeared and their
families worldwide.
May this great man, whom
we shall never forget, rest in peace. His memory will never be
erased in our minds and in our hearts.
Our most humble yet concrete
expression of gratitude to our beloved Ambassador Kessedjian is our
never-ending struggle for the disappeared and their families. In
the immediate, we vow to work hard for the entry into force of the
United Nations Convention for the Protection of All Persons from
Enforced Disappearance and its implementation in as many countries as
possible.
Kindly accept our heartfelt
condolences and please convey our sympathies to the family of the late
His Excellency Ambassador Bernard Kessedjian.
Thank you very much. More
power!
Sincerely yours,
MUGIYANTO MARY
AILEEN D. BACALSO
Chairperson
Secretary-General
