1995 - Opening of the ceremony by Mr Alioune Traoré

Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

UNESCO is glad to welcome you today to honour the two Prize-winners of the 1995 Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and, in an individual capacity, its most eminent High Commissioner, Ms Sadako Ogata.

In the absence of Dr Henry Kissinger, President of the Jury; who is unable to be with us as he is engaged elsewhere in peace negotiations, Mr Jean Foyer, former Minister of Justice under General de Gaulle, and Vice-President of the Jury, will participate in the presentation with Mr Federico Mayor, Director-General of UNESCO.

Before the welcoming address by the Director-General, initiator and creator of the Prize and close friend of President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, may I read out two important messages.

The first is addressed to Ms Sadako Ogata from Mr Klaus Kinkel, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany:

Madam,

May I very cordially congratulate you on the occasion of the award of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize.

This distinction is the just reward of your untiring commitment on behalf of millions of refugees throughout the world, the poorest of the poor, who have such great need of all that we can do to help them.

I wish you every success in the continuation of your mission; and I promise that Germany will continue to lend its full support to your beneficent work and to the activities of your Office.

Accept, Madam, the assurances of my highest consideration,

Klaus Kinkel

The second message is to Mr Federico Mayor, Director-General of UNESCO, from Mr Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic.

Mr Director-General and dear friend,

Thank you for your letter of 23 April on the subject of the award of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize to Ms Sadako Ogata.

I should have had great pleasure in being present at the ceremony, not only because of the very firm ties of friendship which bound me to President Houphouët-Boigny, but also because of the very high esteem in which I hold Ms Ogata for her outstanding achievements as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Unfortunately, at the very time of the award, on Wednesday 5 June at 3 p.m., the forthcoming Franco-German summit will be taking place in Dijon.

I therefore very much regret that it will not be possible for me to join you at the ceremony.

I should be grateful if you would inform the participants of the reasons for my absence. Thank you.

Please accept, with my formal greetings to you as Director-General the good wishes of an old friend,

Paris, 7 May 1996
Jacques Chirac

Before concluding, I should like to bear witness to Mr Jacques Chirac's unfailing attachment to the cause of peace and to the memory of his lifelong friend President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who had very great affection for him.

Ever since the creation of the Prize, and above all since the death of the Sage of Yamoussoukro, Mr Jacques Chirac has unfailingly extended his firm support to promoting the international prestige of this Prize.

May I request your cordial applause for the President of the French Republic.

Mr Chirac has asked to be represented here by one of the figures most devoted to the refugee cause, who will now speak on behalf of France: Mr Xavier Emmanuelli, Secretary of State for Emergency Humanitarian Action.

Thank you.