Neylan Ayse Bali

It is with deep sadness that AFICS/NY announces the passing of its lifetime member, Mrs. Neylan Ayse Bali, who passed away at her home in New York on April 3, 2025.

Mrs. Bali was a distinguished former Director of the United Nations Security Council Affairs Division, having served the Organization with dedication for over 33 years. She was widely respected and admired for her professionalism, integrity, and her unwavering commitment to women's equality and global peace. The late UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan once described her as the "institutional memory of the Security Council."

Mrs. Bali is survived by her beloved husband, two daughters, a stepson and four cherished grandchildren. To her colleagues at the United Nations and among the AFICS/NY community, she will be deeply missed.

A memorial service was held in her honour on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 3:00 p.m., at the United Nations Church Center Chapel, located at 777 United Nations Plaza (corner of 44th Street and First Avenue), across from the United Nations Headquarters.

A fuller obituary, as published in The New York Times, can be read [herePDF].