[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 103 (Thursday, July 18, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5796-S5797]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO AMBASSADOR JOSEPH V. REED

       Mr. MURPHY. Madam President, I rise today to recognize a 
     distinguished and outstanding citizen of the State of 
     Connecticut, Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed.
       Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed has served as a senior 
     diplomat at the United Nations for 30 years. A diplomat's 
     diplomat, he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as 
     Ambassador of the United States of America to the Kingdom of 
     Morocco in 1981 and in 1985 as the Representative of the 
     United States to the Economic and Social Council of the 
     United Nations as Deputy Permanent Representative at the 
     United States Mission. In 1987, he was appointed Under-
     Secretary-General of the United Nations for Political and 
     General Assembly Affairs. In early 1989, President George H. 
     W. Bush appointed Ambassador Reed the Chief of Protocol of 
     the White House, where he served until late 1991.
       In 1992, the then Secretary-General of the United Nations, 
     Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, appointed Ambassador Reed Under-
     Secretary-General of the United Nations and Special 
     Representative for Public Affairs, concluding his assignment 
     in February 1997. In June 1997, Secretary-General of the 
     United Nations, Mr. Kofi A. Annan, re-appointed Ambassador 
     Reed as President of the Staff-Management Coordination 
     Committee, SMCC, the highest internal body of the World 
     Organization. Ambassador Reed served SMCC for 12 years, 
     concluding his assignment in December 2004.
       In January 2005, Secretary-General Kofi A. Annan appointed 
     Ambassador Reed as Under-Secretary-General and Special 
     Adviser. In February 2009, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon 
     reappointed Ambassador Reed as Under-Secretary-General and 
     Special Adviser. Ambassador Reed continues to serve the 
     organization.
       Recently, Ambassador Reed was honored with the presentation 
     of the distinguished achievement award by the American 
     Society of the French Legion of Honor. I ask unanimous 
     consent that the remarks made at that event by the President 
     of the Society, Guy Wildenstein, as well as Ambassador Reed's 
     response, be printed in the Record.
       There being no objection, the material was ordered to be 
     printed in the Record, as follows:

  Annual Meeting of the American Society of the French Legion of Honor


   Presentation of the Distinguished Achievement Award to Ambassador 
                           Joseph Verner Reed

    INTRODUCTION BY MR. GUY WILDENSTEIN, PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIETY, 
      WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012, THE LINKS CLUB, NEW YORK CITY

       Fellow Legionnaires, Dear Friends, It is always a privilege 
     and an Honor to be able to present our Society's most 
     prestigious medal.
       On December 6, 1966, at our Society's Annual Meeting, 
     almost 46 years ago, a new resolution was adopted.
       It was decided that a medal of the American Society of the 
     French Legion of Honor be struck and that such medal would be 
     awarded yearly for distinguished achievement to individuals 
     whom the Society may wish to especially honor.
       According to the minutes of the December 1966 meeting, the 
     medal would be presented to persons esteemed by the Society 
     to honor their humanitarian acts for cultural, educational, 
     artistic, scientific or business objectives.
       Today, we are gathered to present this prestigious medal to 
     such an outstanding individual, Ambassador Joseph Verner 
     Reed.
       In some cases, such as this one, there is an added emotion 
     for me; the one I feel when presenting it not only to someone 
     I profoundly admire, but also to a friend.
       Mr. Ambassador, dear Joseph, I have learned that your 
     ancestors arrived by means of a very small boat called the 
     Mayflower.
       Little did they know that the land they were setting foot 
     on would become the most powerful country in the world, and 
     that their descendant would be traveling the globe on board 
     Air Force One.
       To get back to you, you were born in New York City and 
     after graduating from Deerfield Academy and Yale University, 
     in 1961, you joined the World Bank as Private Secretary to 
     the President.
       From 1963 to 1981 you were Vice President and Assistant to 
     the Chairman of the Chase Manhattan Bank, Mr. David 
     Rockefeller.
       Your brilliant diplomatic career started, when President 
     Ronald Reagan appointed you Ambassador of the United States 
     to the Kingdom of Morocco in 1981.
       Upon leaving this post in 1985, you were conferred the 
     prestigious Order of Commander of the Throne, the only time a 
     foreigner had received this honor. President Reagan then 
     appointed you as the Representative of the United States to 
     the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and as 
     Deputy Permanent Representative at the United States Mission.
       In 1987, you were appointed Under-Secretary-General of the 
     United Nations for Political and General Assembly Affairs, 
     and later President George H. W. Bush appointed you the Chief 
     of Protocol of the White House, where you served until late 
     1991.
       In 1992, the then Secretary-General of the United Nations, 
     Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, appointed you Under-Secretary-
     General of the United Nations and Special Represetative for 
     Public Affairs.
       In 1997, his successor, Secretary-General Kofi Annan, re-
     appointed you as Under-Secretary-General and as President of 
     the Staff-Management Coordination Committee, the highest 
     internal body of the World Organization, on which you served 
     for twelve years.
       In 2005, you were appointed Under-Secretary-General and 
     Special Adviser by Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and re-
     appointed in 2009 by the current Secretary-General, Mr. Ban 
     Ki-moon.
       This past April you became the Dean of UN Under-Secretaries 
     General, having served at that level with various capacities 
     for almost three decades.
       Today, you continue to serve the organization with the same 
     fervor and polished savoir-faire than when you started.
       Along your prosperous career, you have also received 
     numerous honors and decorations.
       You have been described as courteous, elegant and 
     knowledgeable: in my humble opinion an understatement, when 
     describing the consummate diplomat that you are.
       When decorated Officier of the French Legion of Honor in 
     1991, you were cited for your special talents for the 
     profession of diplomacy.
       ``Who can say how much diplomacy--and I am thinking, of 
     course, not only of United States diplomacy, but of diplomacy 
     at large--would have been lost if Joseph had not entered its 
     ranks?'' asked the Ambassador of France to the US Jacques 
     Andreani.
       Additionally, you have received many decorations from 
     Italy, Spain, Egypt, Jordan, Central and South America and 
     Africa.
       You also received several honorary doctorates, and Yale 
     University awarded you their highest honor: The Yale Medal.
       You have served on this Society's Board as a Director and 
     Vice President for many years, and in addition currently 
     serve on our Executive Committee.
       We could not imagine running this Board without your 
     distinctive expertise and knowledgeable guidance, and the 
     Society is extremely honored to count you among its Life 
     Members.
       And today, Mr. Ambassador, dear Joseph, I am very proud to 
     present you with our Society's 2012 Medal for Distinguished 
     Achievement.

[[Page S5797]]

Response by Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed Upon Receipt of the Medal for 
Distinguished Achievement at the Annual Meeting of the American Society 
                     of the French Legion of Honor


       Wednesday, November 14, 2012 The Links Club New York City

       I am greatly honored to receive this ``Award for 
     Distinguished Achievement'' from the Society.
       I love France. I have great admiration and affection for 
     the People of France.
       My spouse of more than fifty years is the daughter of a 
     lady of France.
       We have lived in Grasse and enjoyed numerous visits to 
     every part of this noble nation.
       My Father was born in Nice at the Hotel Negresco. He lived 
     with his parents in the Loire until a teenager. He later 
     lived in Paris and Senlis.
       I was honored to receive the Legion of Honor from President 
     Mitterrand when I served as Chief of Protocol of the White 
     House under President Bush Senior. As Chief of Protocol I 
     organized more visits between President Bush and President 
     Mitterrand than Mr. Bush had with any other Head of State.
       In my youth I had the privilege of having a Governess from 
     France.
       Soon after the close of World War Two I had the pleasure of 
     being with a French Family for a Summer near the City of 
     Tours. That started my love affair with ``La Belle France''.
       It was France that turned the American quest for 
     Independence into a reality.
       France's legendary culture has spread her elegant language 
     (the language of Diplomacy) across the globe with 73 French 
     speaking nations forming the Francophonie.
       France shapes global tastes.
       Everyone's second country is France.
       I have worked at the United Nations for thirty years. 
     France is a powerhouse at the Parliament of Man being a 
     Permanent Member of the Security Council.
       France is at the peak of success with her Couture, 
     Painting, Music, Film, Drama, Cuisine, Wines from Bordeaux 
     and Burgundy, Champagne (who wouldn't love a country with 640 
     types of cheese?).
       My mind turns to -
       The City of Lights, the Statue of Liberty, La Cote D'Azur, 
     Versailles, the Tricolor, Normandy and the bluffs of the 
     beaches of Utah and Omaha, Talleyrand, Le Musee D'Orsay, 
     Napoleon, La Marseilles, Chartres, The Chateaux of the Valley 
     of the Loire, President Wilson, General De Gaulle, General 
     Eisenhower, Francoise Mitterrand.
       President Wildenstein and friends, thank you, thank you, 
     thank you for bestowing on me this great honor. I am touched, 
     humbled and proud.
       Encore, Bon Soir
       Bon Thanksgiving and Dieu Vous Benisse.

                          ____________________