Canal Hotel Bombing 23rd Anniversary Commemoration

His Excellency Ambassador Al-Manhal Al-Safi, Representative of the Presidency of the Republic of Iraq,
Excellencies,
Colleagues, friends,

Good morning.

Today, we come together to remember.

Twenty-three years ago, on this same day, 19 August 2003, a devastating attack struck the United Nations headquarters at the Canal Hotel here in Baghdad.

Twenty-two of our colleagues lost their lives.

Many others were injured.

And many survivors continue to carry the memories of that morning and its scars, with them today.

For the United Nations family, this was the darkest day in our history.

But today is not only about the tragedy of what happened.

We are here to remember the people behind it.

The women and men we lost were so much more than colleagues.

They were sons and daughters.

Mothers and fathers.

Friends and mentors.

They were people who believed that their work could help make life better for others.

They came to Iraq to serve. To support peace. To support recovery. To support hope.

Among them was Sérgio Vieira de Mello, whose leadership and dedication continue to inspire people around the world.

Today, we honor all those who lost their lives.
We also remember all those whose lives were changed forever by that attack.

And we pay tribute to the survivors.

Some are with us here today.

Your courage, resilience, and continued service remind us of the strength of the human spirit. 

We are proud to stand with you.

We also remember the families who lost loved ones and whose lives were changed forever.

Please know that they are not forgotten, and neither are those they lost.

Colleagues,

The attack on the Canal Hotel was intended to spread fear and division.

Instead, it strengthened our determination to continue working for peace, for humanity, for dignity.

The values that brought our colleagues to Iraq twenty-three years ago remain the same values that guide the United Nations today.

The values they stood for continue to inspire people across Iraq and around the world who work every day to support those in need, to build peace, and to create hope for a better future.

This anniversary is also a reminder of the profound contribution that Iraqis have made to the work of the United Nations. Through years of challenge and hardship, Iraqis have shown extraordinary resilience, courage, and determination to build a better future for their country.

Today, we remember the past.

But we also reaffirm our commitment to the future.

A future built on peace.

A future built on dignity.

A future built on solidarity and shared humanity.

The greatest tribute we can pay to those we lost is to carry forward the values for which they lived and served.

May their memory continue to guide us.

May their service never be forgotten.

Thank you.