Former Secretary-General U Thant Lies in State at UN Headquarters

Former Secretary-General U Thant died after a long illness on 25 November at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Centre in New York. He was 65 years of age. Today his body was brought to UN Headquarters to lie in state for 24 hours. The flag-draped coffin was placed in front of the Meditation Room in the General Assembly Lobby. A guard of honour, composed of UN Security Guards, was in attendance. The UN flag was flown at half-mast. Friends and relatives, members of delegations, the Secretariat, the press and the general public filed past the coffin to pay their last respects and sign a book of condolences. A special commemorative ceremony will be held in the General Assembly on 2 December. U Thant was the Organization's third Secretary-General. He held the office from 1961 until he retired in 1971.

The body of the former Secretary-General lying in state outside the Meditation Room. Near the coffin were three wreaths: one from the President of the General Assembly, one (in the centre) from Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim, and the third from members of the UN Secretariat.

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