Hans Janitschek

Hans Janitschek, Wiki "an Austrian journalist who spent years as a U.N. consultant and also served as secretary general of the Socialist International organization, died suddenly [in 2008] at U.N. headquarters. He was 73.

"His wife, Friedl, said Friday that Janitschek died last week and the cause of death was believed to be a heart attack.

"Janitschek became foreign editor of Austria's largest daily newspaper, Kurier, in 1959. He joined the Austrian Foreign Service in 1964 and was sent to the United States as director of the Austrian Information Service.

"He was appointed special assistant to Bruno Kreisky, then-chairman of the Austrian Socialist Party, in 1966 and three years later was elected secretary general of the Socialist International, the world organization of social democratic, socialist and labor parties based in London.

"As secretary general, Janitschek championed independence for Bangladesh and became an outspoken supporter of Chile's Marxist President Salvador Allende.

"In 1977, then-U.N. Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim, a fellow Austrian and friend, invited Janitschek to be a U.N. consultant. He served in a variety of fields including public information, the peaceful uses of outer space, Palestine, human rights and population.

"Upon retiring from the U.N. in 1994, he returned to journalism as U.S. correspondent for the Kronen Zeitung. Recently, he joined iCastNews.com as news anchor and host of a daily news program broadcast over the Internet from the U.N. He was working there on Feb. 21 when he died.

"Before joining Kurier, Janitschek worked for United Press in Austria and Reuters as a senior editor.

"Born in Vienna, Janitschek was a Fulbright scholar at Haverford College in Pennsylvania in 1953.

"Janitschek wrote several political biographies, co-authored Waldheim's autobiography and published more than a dozen books.

"In June 2005, he was awarded the Grand Decoration of Honor in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria.

"Besides his wife, Janitschek is survived by daughter Anji of New York, and son Stefan, of Maui, Hawaii."

"While in New York he also served as President of the United Nations Society of Writers, President of the Earth Society, Trustee of the Martin Luther King International Peace Award and Chairman of the Cast the Sleeping Elephant Trust. In that capacity and with substantial support from His Holiness the Lama Gangchen he placed a life size bronze sculpture of a living African elephant on United Nations grounds as a lasting symbol of nature's priority over all other of mankind's endeavous."