Dear Colleagues,
It is with great sadness that I inform you of the loss of our dear colleague Haiyan. She passed away on 18 February, after a heroic fight against cancer. I have been in touch with Haiyan’s family and have extended our deepest sympathies to them. At this difficult moment, our thoughts are with her family.
Haiyan was a wonderful colleague and a great asset to the UN. Her dedicated service to the Organization’s goals is a source of inspiration to us all.
Let me take this opportunity to thank all colleagues for your hard work and I am sure you will continue doing your utmost in delivering on our mandates. Under my overall supervision, the existing rotational OIC arrangement will continue until further notice. I count on your usual cooperation.
Thank you.
Wu Hongbo
悼 词
深受大家尊敬的联合国经济与社会事务部公共行政和发展管理司司长钱海燕女士，经过与癌症的顽强斗争，因医治无效，于2013年2月18日去世，享年57岁。
钱海燕女士作为一名出色的国际公务员，在联合国工作33年，将其毕生精力贡献给了联合国全球公共政策治理与发展方面的研究。加入联合国经济与社会事务部以来，钱海燕女士曾领导联合国公共行政网络和电子政务处，后又担任公共行政和发展管理司司长一职。钱海燕女士对工作的执着和热情，对同事的热心和帮助，赢得了联合国秘书处同事们以及成员国的一致称赞和好评。直到生命的最后一息，她仍在关心和挂念着她的工作和同事们。她忠于职守、勤奋工作、尽职尽责、追求完美的品格，为联合国以及国际公共管理界所称道。
她不但是一位出色的国际公务员，也是一位出色的妻子和母亲。她为人忠厚，襟怀坦荡，平易近人，乐观开朗。我相信，凡是和钱海燕女士打过交道的同事和朋友们，都会为她坦诚、直率、热忱的性格和工作风格所吸引。
钱海燕女士的去世是联合国的损失，是联合国经社部的损失。我们为失去一位好同事、好朋友而痛心，也为失去一位出色的中国籍联合国高级公务员而惋惜。
愿海燕一路走好。
Dear Mr Wu and DESA colleagues,
I was deeply saddened by the passing away of Haiyan, a long-time friend and cooperator. Haiyan and I became known to each other from our years servicing under China’s State Science and Technology Commission back in the early 1990s. Since then we had kept in touch, and been often working closely with each other — especially after I joined the UN service for the second time about 10 years ago as Director, Information, Communications and Space Technology Division at ESCAP. Jointly, we organized a number of activities in Bangkok and Seoul, all seen as highly successful, rewarding and pleasant. I also had the huge pleasure of visiting her in DESA for several times throughout the last 20 years. Talking to her was a special treat, relaxing experience and unique enjoyment. In addition, we exchanged emails and conversed over phone. To me, she was a wonderful friend. She was very warm, caring, sincere, always ready to listen, to share, and to help. While working, you will find a true partner in her with sophistication in professionalism, comprehensiveness, skillfulness and enthusiasm. In all our joint work, she would never try to do less items and claim more in outcome. Rather, she would compete with you to do more and claim less. She was very devoted to the UN. She was humble, but ambitious as well. She can be flexible but never yield in principles. She loves DESA and the UN, perhaps more than herself. I could never forget our last conversation over phone in mid-2012 when she called me from DESA and sought some work-related clarifications. In the middle of it she briefly informed, quietly and in a very even and peaceful tone, that she had caught cancer already for sometime. She then continued her talking session with me, not allowing me to change the subject to her health. She would not accept my suggestion to stop work and to go all out seeking solutions to cancel treatment. She said she would continue to work to the level possible. She demonstrated all fine qualities of her native Chinese culture and successfully brought them to her UN service. As a fellow Chinese, I admire her and feel very proud of her.
In the Chinese language, Hai Yan means sea gull, or swallow, both birds very much favored for its braveness in adverse occasion weather or its pleasing songs while flying among willow trees in the sunny Spring days. Now, Hai Yan had flied away to the paradise in the outer space. May this brave bird continue to sing in the Heaven so that we can continue to hear her. May Buddha bless her!
Dr Zengpei Xuan,
A new UN retiree and former Director, Information and Communications Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction Division, ESCAP