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Presentation |
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The United Nations system was created in the aftermath of the Second World War “to maintain international peace and security, and, to that end: to take the effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to the breach of the peace”. (1) Within the United Nations system, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was created in London in November 1945 with the mission to establish peace through “education, science and culture”. Taking as its starting point UNESCO’s prime ethical mission, the Organization’s General Conference, meeting in Paris for its 25th session in 1989, adopted unanimously the resolution for the creation of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize in honour of the philosophy and action of the first president of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, President Félix Houphouêt-Boigny. (2) In instituting a peace Prize, the General Conference has placed itself in the mainstream of the philosophy of UNESCO’s founders, who, in the preamble to the Organization’s Constitution, solemnly declare that: “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.” By this highly symbolic decision, the General Conference demonstrated its commitment to peace, dialogue and universal values, at a time when the world political balance is constantly threatened by the breakdowns and upheavals that disrupt societies and when, more than ever, we must not falter in reaffirming the essential role of those values in bringing about a world of greater mutual support and human fellowship. The Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize is intended to honour living individuals, and active public or private bodies or institutions that have made a significant contribution to promoting, seeking, safeguarding or maintaining peace, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations and the Constitution of UNESCO. The Prize, comprising a cheque for 122,000 Euros, a gold medal and a diploma signed by the Director-General of UNESCO, is awarded each year by an international jury consisting of eleven prominent individuals from the five continents and presided over by Dr Henry Kissinger, former American Secretary of State and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. At its 28th Summit, held in Dakar in June 1992, the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Organization for African Unity (OAU) praised UNESCO for its initiative in creating the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize. The France-Africa Summit, attended by the French-speaking African countries and France, which convened in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) in December 1996, expressed its full support for the Prize in its final declaration. Lastly, in December 1996, the United Nations General Assembly at its 51st session lent its support to the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize by adopting resolution A/RES/51/101. Every year, the Director-General sends a circular letter to all Member States and to non-governmental organizations having consultative status with UNESCO, inviting them to submit nominations. In addition to Member States and the above-mentioned non-governmental organizations, the following may submit nominations:
(1) Article I, paragraph 1, of the United Nations Charter. (2) Article 3 of the Resolution of UNESCO’s 25th General Conference to create the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize. |
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