Welcome to the Official page of the Presidency of the Portuguese Republic

My first words are to address a very special greeting to all the representatives of the foreign institutions who, on the occasion of this Annual Conference of the European Foundation Centre, wished to honour our country with their presence.

I welcome you very warmly and hope you will enjoy a splendid stay in Portugal.

To the representatives of the Portuguese foundations I wish to extend my deepest thanks for the philanthropy and cooperation that you have been developing in the most diversified areas and for the contribution that you have given towards the development of our country, to the well being of the Portuguese and to the worldwide image of Portugal.

I was able to ascertain that, among the population strata that most benefit from the actions of the more than two hundred members of the European Foundation Centre, children and young people occupy a singularly eminent first place, followed by the less favoured social groups that are risking exclusion, from the handicapped to the ethnical minorities and the migrants.

This is a converging action of promoting equality of opportunities and of fighting material deprivation and all types of exclusion and social discrimination, whether in the countries where the Foundations are headquartered, whether within the scope of international aid and cooperation.

It is pleasing to confirm that education, arts and culture, as well as community development, health and science are the areas of intervention that command greater support, a fact that leads me to conclude that there is a new concept of philanthropy that guides solidarity actions: more than just the distribution of cash amounts or foodstuffs, these Foundations are driven to grant, through the programmes and incentives they promote, an increased social and cultural sustainability.

It equally pleases me to record a second guidance: international cooperation is based upon global solidarity networks, in the concerted actions of the Foundations and in determining the priority of common objectives.

We are nowadays aware that a significant part of social issues is inserted on a global scale that goes far beyond the capability of any single country to find effective solutions on its own.

Issues with international migrations, the increasing number of refugees, the fight against new epidemic diseases, climate change and environmental risks, as global challenges, demand combined action on a global scale as well.

Global issues require global solutions.

This is precisely the case of the central theme that brings you to this Conference: the Oceans.

This is a particularly interesting theme in my regard, and for which I have endeavoured to muster the Portuguese and their institutions, calling their attention to the opportunities for development contained in the Sea.

It was in the Oceans that Portugal erected one of the fundamental pillars of its identity as a Nation. One of the oldest Nations in Europe and in the World, forged for the purpose of discovery, for revealing new worlds to the World, in a complex exchange network of cultures and civilizations encompassing the five continents.

It was in the sea and in the oceans that we built a significant part of our History and I am convinced that it will be in the sea and in the oceans that we will be able to find a plethora of opportunities for our economic development, and even a renewed sense for our existence as a Country, as well as a privileged partner for Europe in our relationships with the continents that shared with us this immense Atlantic sea.

Portugal, due to its geographical position, to its History or to its identity, has available an enormous stock of knowledge and experience for the dialogue of civilizations which has been a long term ambition. I am certain that its contribution could be relevant.

But I am also sure that this sea of resources and opportunities contains risks and threats, many of them global in impact and nature, which must be known and for which we must find solutions.

Environmental risk is one of the. The vulnerability of the marine ecosystems to pollution, to the contaminants incident on biological complexes and on the food chain, is not yet sufficiently well known. The production of scientific knowledge on the Oceans and what they represent for life on Earth is still very far from what is desirable and necessary.

For this reason I believe that it is urgent that we join efforts – governments, scientific communities, non governmental organizations – aiming exactly towards a better knowledge of the Oceans and to the identification of the most effective means to safeguard the risks that are placed on the sustainability of their resources. The European Foundations could play a decisive role in this common strategy to build a safer and more sustainable World and a brighter future for Humanity.

I thus believe that the choice of the Oceans as the theme for this year’s Conference of the European Foundation Centre was extremely opportune.

It is with great expectations that I await the results of your work, certain that it will greatly contribute towards finding new paths for the future of our countries, for the well being of our fellow citizens and for the development of a more balanced, fairer and more collaborating globalization.

I hope that your work is satisfactorily carried out and, for those who are visiting us, I wish you an agreeable stay in Portugal.

Thank you very much