Farewell message by David Hobbs

INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT · SECRETARIAT INTERNATIONAL
Place du Petit Sablon 3
1000 Bruxelles (Belgique)
T. +32 2 504 81 55
F. +32 2 513 59 23
E. secgen@nato-pa.int
www.nato-pa.int
THE SECRETARY GENERAL
LE SECRETAIRE GENERAL
230 CIR 19 E 20 December 2019
TO SECRETARIES OF DELEGATION FOR DISTRIBUTION TO ALL MEMBERS
Dear All,
On 31 December, I will bid farewell to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly after serving
12 years as Secretary General – and quite a lot longer than that in other previous
capacities.
It has been a privilege to lead the talented and dedicated team at the International
Secretariat and to work with parliamentarians and staff from the more than 60 nations
and interparliamentary organizations involved in the Assembly.
During my tenure, I have tried to uphold and promote the principles upon which NATO
was founded and which the Assembly embodies: democracy, individual freedom, and
the rule of law.
In doing so, I hope that I have strengthened the dynamic and synergistic relationship
between NATO and the Assembly, as well as the transatlantic bond which is the
Assembly’s heart and lifeblood.
Parliamentarians are a vital - though often behind-the-scenes - “force multiplier” in
building international cooperation and understanding. Parliamentary diplomacy
promotes international security and stability, and, in a strong field of admirable
interparliamentary bodies, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly leads the way.
The Assembly’s members and International Secretariat have been very kind in their
assessments of my tenure, and I do take pride in certain achievements and obstacles
overcome. But what I treasure most are the many lifelong friendships I have made
through the Assembly, and the opportunities I have had to meet so many remarkable
people.
I would like to thank all those who have been involved in the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly during my 36-year career for making the organization what it is today. I am
confident that our successors will continually adapt the Assembly to guarantee its
future.
Yours sincerely,
David Hobbs
NATO''s Parlamentariske Forsamling 2019-20
NPA Alm.del - Bilag 11
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