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1999 - Address by Mr Koïchiro Matsuura |
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| General-Director of UNESCO | |
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President
Abdou Diouf, Patron of the Prize, It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to UNESCO Headquarters on the occasion of the presentation of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize to the Community of Sant’Egidio. This is the first time since my arrival at the head of the Organization that I have had the opportunity to present this Prize, which is undoubtedly a major instrument for the promotion of peace in the world. The name of Félix Houphouët-Boigny, which it bears, symbolizes the quest for peace and human fraternity. In the 1960s, when I was a very young Japanese diplomat in West Africa, I had the opportunity to meet that Wise Man of Africa. I was then deeply impressed by the humanistic vision of that extraordinary man who had made peace the ultimate goal of his struggle. I therefore wish to seize the opportunity provided here to pay tribute once again to the memory of President Houphouët-Boigny. Allow me also to pay a very warm tribute to the President of this Prize, Dr Henry Kissinger, represented today by Mr Jean Foyer. Dr Kissinger was present at the birth of this Prize and, for over ten years now, has been a staunch advocate on its behalf. Through his commitment and active participation, this man of worldwide prestige honours UNESCO and highlights the special importance of the Prize. It is with great pleasure that I welcome Mr Abdou Diouf, Patron of the Prize, and Mr Henri Konan Bédié, Sponsor of the Prize, who have ceaselessly sought to extend its influence and ensure its state of health. Thanks to their attention and solicitude, the Prize’s international prestige has continuously grown since its inception. I should also like to express my pleasure at the presence in our midst of Mr Abou Drahamane Sangaré, the Representative of the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, and of Mr Nzi, the personal Representative of President Larent Gbagbo, President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. The President has honoured us by sending a message for the first presentation ceremony for the Prize held since his accession to the highest office of his country. I should also like to thank Mr Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic, who sent me a message yesterday saying how much he regretted not being among us. He reiterated his commitment to the Prize, which commemorates the memory of the great African statesman Félix Houphouët-Boigny and makes a positive contribution to peace-building throughout the world. He conveyed to me his satisfaction at seeing the Community of Sant’Egidio rewarded for its work in the service of our common ideal. I am very honoured too by the presence among us of Mr Louis Michel, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Belgium, and of Mr Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Secretary-General of the International Organization of the Francophonie. Mr Jacques Delors, former Minister and former President of the European Community, will join us in a few moments. Finally, I wish to pay special tribute to the members of the Jury of the Prize, who have brought to the Prize their irreplaceable experience in international affairs and their dedication to the success of this high honorary distinction. Through their wisdom, their vision and the appropriateness of their choices, the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Prize has become in a few years a much sought-after honour and a prestigious point of reference among international peace prizes. Excellencies, It is particularly gratifying for me to award the Prize to the Community of Sant’Egidio, represented here by its President and founder, Professor Andrea Riccardi. It was following the new guidelines laid down by the Second Vatican Council that you decided in 1968, Professor Riccardi, to instil an evangelical spirit into humanitarian action by forming a Community whose philosophy is based on friendship for the poor. You applied this new approach to an old problem thanks to the combined efforts of men and women of good will, first of all in Rome, then throughout Italy and, finally, in the many countries where the Community has established itself. From its modest beginnings the Community of Sant’Egidio has retained a feeling for human contact and for listening attentively to the words of others, combining humility in its intellectual approach to the problems with which it is confronted and perseverance in the search for ultimate success. These valuable qualities, initially placed at the service of the most deprived sections of society and then used for forging closer ties between religions, have finally been employed by the Community in the search for peace through dialogue in the various conflicts in which it has been led to offer its services as mediator. Its achievements in this field are the finest reward that it could hope for and demonstrate the effectiveness of its method: is there any need to recall the key role it has played in the return of peace in Mozambique, its considerable contribution to the peace process in Guatemala and the many initiatives it has taken in Europe, Africa and Latin America? If we add that it is on a voluntary basis that all the members of the Community of Sant’Egidio devote their time and energy to the service of peace and development, we can only pay homage to their praiseworthy dedication to the service of their fellow men. Excellencies, In a few moments the Vice-President of the Jury, Mr Jean Foyer, will outline to you the reasons which governed the Jury’s choice. I, personally, am delighted, on behalf of UNESCO, that the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize is going this year to an organization that does honour to its founders and to the moral conscience of humanity. Thank you. |
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