As Alvaro de Soto concludes his service to the United Nations today after 25 years of dedicated work for the Organization, the Secretary-General wishes to express his profound gratitude for Mr. de Soto's outstanding service.

During a distinguished career both at UN headquarters and in the field, the diplomatic talents of Under-Secretary-General Alvaro de Soto were in high demand around the world, from El Salvador to Myanmar, Cyprus to Western Sahara, and most recently in the search for peace in the Middle East. Of particular note was the decisive mark that Mr. de Soto made in the Central American peace process. The agreements he helped to broker in El Salvador not only brought a better future to the people of that country, but also became a model for UN peacemaking efforts elsewhere. Mr. de Soto's contributions to the development of UN practices in conflict mediation and resolution will be a lasting part of his legacy to the United Nations.

The Secretary-General joins UN staff in wishing him the very best in his future endeavours.