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2002 - Opening of the ceremony by Mr Alioune Traoré |
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| Executive Secretary of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize | |
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Your
Excellencies, Allow
me first to thank this large audience of distinguished persons who Your
Excellencies, I
am pleased to welcome to the podium the Director-General's special guests: •
Mr Amara Essy, Interim Chairperson of the Commission of the African
Union; •
Mr Michel de Bonnecorse, representing the President of the French
Republic; •
Mr Pedro Roseta, Minister of Culture of the Portuguese Republic; •
Mr Mamadou Bamba, Cabinet Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs,
of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire; •
Mr Sébastien Danon Djédjé, Minister of National Reconciliation,
of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire; •
Mr Kim Holmes, Assistant Secretary of State, representing the
United States of America; •
H. E. Mr Ambassador Teiichi Sato, representing the Prime Minister
of Japan. The
General Conference of UNESCO instituted the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Prize
in November 1989 on the initiative of 120 countries in order to
disseminate the message of peace of a great African wise man and to honour
peace-builders. Since
its establishment, the Prize has been awarded to eighteen laureates, and I
should like to point out that six of them were also awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize, after having won the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize,
namely: Messrs Nelson Mandela, Frederik W. De Klerk, Messrs Yasser Arafat,
Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, and Mr Jimmy Carter. Is
any further evidence needed of the relevance of the choices made by the
Prize's Jury? In this connection, you will allow me to pay great tribute
to all the members of the Jury and particularly to their President. I am
happy to express here my deep gratitude to Dr Henry Kissinger for the
extremely valuable support he has given me in the running and political
management of the Prize. Dr
Kissinger's commitment to the Prize is the most eloquent testimony of his
faithfulness to the memory of his friend President Félix
Houphouët-Boigny. We
have just learned that Dr Kissinger is stranded in London as a result of
the transport strikes in France. He very much regrets that he is unable to
be with us. Mr Jean Foyer, Vice-President of the Jury, will read his
message. Your
Excellencies, I
should now like to emphasize the great debt I owe to President Abdou
Diouf, Patron of the Prize, and President Henri Konan Bédié, Sponsor of
the Prize. The work they have done over many years to ensure the
continuity and success of this international award has been invaluable. Your
Excellencies, I
now turn to the Director-General of UNESCO. Mr
Director-General, Allow
me to pay tribute to your commitment to the continent of Africa. Working
daily by your side, I am able to bear witness to the fact that Africa is
dear to your heart and, thanks to your work, has become one of our
Organization's major priorities. You
have adopted the maxim that President Félix Houphouët-Boigny was fond of
repeating, as you are yourself, namely, that "Africa needs not only
assistance but, first and foremost, respect". As a
citizen of a great country which, after the Second World War, became a
laboratory of peace, you have been unstinting in your efforts to
strengthen the international credibility of the Prize. It is a
pleasure for me to pay tribute today to your ever-willing commitment to
everything related to the promotion of Peace throughout the world. Your
decision to establish, in connection with the Prize, an International
Commission for Peace Research chaired by Dr Henry Kissinger, has sprung
from that commitment. Your
Excellencies, At
this solemn moment, allow me to turn my thoughts to President Félix
Houphouët-Boigny. His endeavours for peace and a world of greater
fellowship are more than ever relevant and should set an example to us
all. The
peace that the Prize is designed to strengthen in hearts and minds is a
peace of dialogue rather than confrontation. The
main objective of the Prize is to bring people together, remove the threat
of a "clash of civilizations" and promote a conception of
international relations based on equity and mutual respect. President
Gusmão's struggle, which deserves our unqualified admiration, fully
reflects that philosophy, and his presence here today is therefore a cause
for satisfaction for all the friends of peace. Thank
you.
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