UNITED NATIONS 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is saddened by the news of the passing of Kemal Dervis, a prominent Turkish economist, minister and former head of the United Nations Development Program, a spokesperson said Tuesday. 

Dervis died on Monday at the age of 74 in the US.

''Mr. Dervis was a remarkable leader who dedicated his career to striving for equality and social justice and eradicating poverty in all its forms,'' UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said in a statement.

''As the first UNDP administrator from the Global South, Mr. Dervis took a lead role in supporting countries in overcoming crises and vulnerability and bringing the UN development system together around common goals.''

The secretary-general offers his sincere condolences to Mr. Dervis’ family and friends, Haq added.

Dervis was laid to rest in a funeral service in the state of Maryland on Tuesday.

He began his career at the World Bank in 1977 and became vice president for the Middle East and North Africa in 1996.

Amid the financial crisis, he was appointed Türkiye's state minister for economy in March 2001.

From 2001-2002, Dervis was responsible for launching a reform program while negotiating with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and later in the country's general elections on Nov. 3, 2002, he was elected a member of parliament from the Republican People's Party (CHP).

After resigning from parliament in 2005, he served as the head of UN Development Program until 2009.