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Messages and reflections for Joke 25 Oct 2005
 
Joke has had a profound influence on my development, both as a person and as a professional. I know there are many people like me around world. She invested in the planet and in its people. A truly great person has left us, but a part of her is anchored firmly within us and in heaps of happy memories. I hope she's climbing mountains in heaven with Herman.
-Ron Lander

I have learnt with deep sorrow the passing away of Ms. Joke Walker-Hunter, UNFCCC Executive Secretary on 14th October 2005 in Bonn (Germany). During her stewardship of the UNFCCC since 1st May 2002, Ms. Hunter provided valuable direction to the international climate change movement. We vividly recall her close involvement with COP-8 in New Delhi in 2002. Kindly convey our sympathies and condolence to her family.
-Dr. Prodipto Ghosh, Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, New Delhi

My memories of Joke date from the mid 1980's when we worked together in the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and the Environment. From the moment we met, she and her husband, Herman, took great pains not only in making me feel at home in The Netherlands but also in the Dutch language -- no easy task! Though our paths diverted, we kept in touch over the years during which I learned that I could always count on her generous help and sage advice (meestal in het Nederlands!) whenever I needed it. Dus, vandag, lieve Joke, wil ik, en jouw moedertal, zeggen hoe zeer ik jou missen maar nooit vergeten.
-Bill Kennedy, Executive Director, North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), Montreal

We at IFOAM would like to express our condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Ms. Waller-Hunter. She will be remembered for her excellent work.
-Angela Caudle, Executive Director, International Federation of Organic Agriculture

In my dealings with Joke whilst she was at the OECD I found her a person of real integrity and intelligence combined with a dry sense of humour and honest humility. She will be sadly missed by colleagues around the world and my sincere condolences go out to her family.
-Reg Green, ICEM, Belgium

My heart and thoughts are with Joke's family and friends at the Climate Change Secretariat as they prepare the event to honour her many lifelong accomplishments. May we work together to continue her tireless and visionary efforts to bring about meaningful international cooperation to protect the global climate and enable sustainable development.
-Jan Corfee-Morlot, OECD, Paris

This is a very sad news. I met Joke many years ago when she was working at the UNCSD. She was kind, normal - simply a very good person
-Christophe Bourillon

Rest in Peace in the Bossom of our Lord. Those who knew you physically while you were 'here' have said a lot about you, and those of us who had not the opportunity to meet with you can only draw inspirations from such comments. It is not the number of years spent that is important BUT how well you used your life to IMPART your generation-Joke was sure, one of those that affected this world positively.
-FOR NURSES ACROSS THE BORDERS and People of-NIEGRIA-Pastor Peters OMORAGBON-Executive President/CEO

I join many others in expressing my deepest condolences on the passing of Ms Waller-Hunter. I will remember Joke’s humor and skilful leadership the most, and as our sadness turns into fond remembrance of her life, we will forever be inspired by her courage and positive outlook on life. Her leadership in matters of climate change will continue to inspire many of us from developing nations as we strive to achieve sustainability. God bless her and rest in peace.
-Paul Desanker, Miombo Network/PSU, Malawi delegation and LEG Chair