Write For Us

UN Chief receives the Charlemagne Prize & other topics - Daily Briefing (30 May 2019)

Sponsored Post Vitamin D2 Canada Persia
125 Views
Published
Briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the President of the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Daily Press Briefing:
- Secretary-General's Travels,
- Sexual Exploitation and Abuse,
- Senior Appointments,
- Sudan,
- Libya,
- Contributions
SECRETARY-GENERAL’S TRAVELS
On Thursday morning, the Secretary-General received the 2019 Charlemagne Prize in Aachen, Germany. In his remarks, he said that as a committed European and Secretary-General of the United Nations, this prize is especially meaningful for him and that, through him, tribute is being paid to the commitment, service and sacrifice of the women and men of the United Nations.
He referred to the European Union and the United Nations as two of the greatest projects of our times. He told the participants in the ceremony that he never felt so clearly the need for a strong and united Europe, adding that the failure of Europe would inevitably be the failure of multilateralism and the failure of a world in which the rule of law can prevail.
The Secretary-General also encouraged Europeans and their leaders to maintain the values enshrined in the UN Charter of fundamental human rights and in the European Convention on Human Rights. Europe, he said, cannot be premised on “us” versus “them,” adding that “scapegoating migrants and closing our doors to asylum seekers does not protect but shame this heritage.” The Secretary-General reminded the audience that the 1951 Refugee Convention was initially adopted to protect millions of displaced Europeans in the post-war period.
While thanking the authorities of Aachen for awarding him the prize, the Secretary-General said that he would do his best to defend passionately the values of pluralism, tolerance, dialogue and mutual respect to build a world of peace, justice and human dignity.
Prior to receiving the prize, the Secretary-General and the other dignitaries attended a pontifical mass in the Aachen Cathedral. Immediately following the prize ceremony, the Secretary-General attended an open-air festival, during which he thanked the people of Aachen and honoured the city’s role as the cradle of Europe.
The Secretary-General will be back in New York on Monday.

Highlights:
Category
Success
Sign in or sign up to post comments.
Be the first to comment