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Honourable Speaker,
Honourable President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe,
Honourable Secretary General of the Council of Europe,
Honourable Executive Secretary of the North-South Centre,
Honourable Members of Parliament,
Honourable Ambassadors,

I am particularly pleased to take part in this ceremony for the award of the North-South Prize of the Council of Europe, thus associating myself to the decision of paying tribute to the notable contributions of Koffi Annan and Simone Veil on behalf of the defence of Human Rights.

The last few decades were singled out by a growing assertion in the value of the protection of Human Rights, outlined by the awareness of the value of human life, by the disavowal of the violation of the basic rights of Man, and by the search for economic and social policies that respect and promote the dignity of the individual and the welfare of the communities. I want to pay due tribute to the role of Governments and civil societies, as well as International Organizations such as the Council of Europe, who have contributed towards this end throughout the last sixty years.

However, the path already covered must not allow us to forget that the promotion of a fairer and freer society is an objective which continues to demand a persistent and dedicated action from us all.

Inequality, inequity, poverty, and persecution for the most varied reasons, are wrongs which still exist in all the regions of the Globe, and oblige us to strengthen the defence of human rights, freedom and democracy, and that we gather together to build a fairer and more inclusive society, in which people may live in dignity and in peace.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is only fair that we should recognize the valuable contribution of the European Centre for World Interdependence and Solidarity, the North – South Centre, to the knowledge of the current issues of global interdependence and for the promotion of policies based on a closer and more equitable relationship between the North and the South. Twenty years after the Madrid Appeal, which led to setting up, in 1989, the North-South Centre, these concerns continue to be fully relevant, as we are anyway reminded daily by what is happening in the international stage.

In effect, the growing global interdependence obliges us to face challenges which also demand answers agreed at an ever wider level. We are however well aware that agreed answers will not be easily available if respect for the Other and solidarity towards the less prepared do not underlie them, in order that advantages may be taken from the opportunities provided by globalization.

It is through the assertion and the share of these values that a more balanced and sustainable worldwide standard of development can be forged. The building of fairer and more equitable societies is largely based on this standard. It is an objective that congregates us all and to which we are all called upon to contribute.

The two winners of this year’s North-South Prize early understood and accepted their responsibilities. Their actions are an example to all of us and strengthen our hope in a better and fairer world, based on Man’s permanent valuation.

The life of Mrs. Simone Veil is a notable instance of the endeavour to promote human rights, particularly those of women, children, the aged and the immigrants. From adversity and suffering, Simone Veil knew how to gather the strength and the conviction required by someone who dedicates their whole life to the public cause, to the defence of a society which is fairer and more attentive to its more fragile members. This continuous and persevering militancy on behalf of human dignity, present in all her actions, is a source of inspiration and deserves our true recognition.

As a Nobel Peace Prize winner and with a life dedicated to the great causes of the United Nations, of which he was a notable Secretary General, Koffi Annan can well be shown as the symbol of a permanent search for peace and for the welfare of Humanity. Allow me to emphasize his role in the fight against AIDS, his inexhaustible endeavours in the definition and pursuit of the Objectives of the Millennium, his capacity for intervening and conciliation, crucial for the resolution of several international conflicts, such as that which recently afflicted Kenya.

In the meetings we held, I myself had the privilege of benefiting from his views, always knowledgeable, clear and intelligent, on the issues which are included in the international agenda of these times.

I end by thanking the North-South Centre for the opportunity it has provided us, with the award of this prize, to distinguish these two great figures of our times and, through them, to outline the greatness of the ideals that guided their lives and the value of their example.

Thank you very much.