Former UN rights commissioner Mary Robinson has described UN secretary general Kofi Annan as a "strong voice" on human rights but said he had lost some influence after opposing the United States.
Speaking on RTÉ radio, the former Irish president said that Mr Annan was "hammered" by the United States after he described the war in Iraq as illegal.
"At that stage he realised no matter what he said he was going to be criticised and therefore it was better to be very clear and very outspoken," she said. However, she speculated that this outspokenness may have contributed to his loss of influence.
"The wounding was a thousand cuts and some of them were valid points about the war . . . but the constant barrage of criticism and wounding has weakened him at one level," she said.
However, Mrs Robinson said Mr Annan had achieved a lot in his time in office. "He was a strong voice for the principals we need - a very strong voice and those who fight in the trenches for human rights need to be able to quote the highest authority."
She also said there were times when she felt isolated.
"There were a couple of times when I felt isolated from what was happening in New York about the diplomatic and political front, where I was trying to speak with a human rights voice and to be honest didn't get the full backing. The political realpolitik dominated," she said.
"I felt if I could have got to him, I could have perhaps got his stronger support, but I was taking tough lines."
Mr Annan will be succeeded as secretary general by Ban Ki-Moon of South Korea in the coming weeks.