Format: Real

Duration: 3:48 mins.

Inter Press Service International Achievement Award
United Nations, New York, 29 October 1999

REMARKS BY KENSAKU HOGEN
Under-Secretary-General, U.N. Department of Public Information

It´s again a great pleasure to welcome so many distinguished guests and friends to this very special occasion.

Tonight, the Inter Press Service honours Mr. Juan Somavia for his lifelong commitment to social development and international cooperation. For those of us who are part of the United Nations community, and for any of us who are in any way interested in international affairs, this gentleman needs no introduction.

Nevertheless, if I may, as ambassador for Chile he has been an outstanding figure in the international community. He was twice been president of ECOSOC and twice as president of the Security Council, which no so many Permanent Representatives or any man or any women for that matter has been placed to do these honours.

He was a vocal and persuasive advocate for the 1995 World Summit for Social Development, a conference proposed by Chile and made a reality by His Excellency´s untiring efforts and commitment. As chairman of the Preparatory committee for the Social Summit, he led the negotiations that culminated in that landmark Copenhagen Conference attended by something like 117 Heads of State and Government, which of course was almost unprecedented.

We are a little bit sorry that he had to leave New York. We lost him from this terrain. But of course he is in Geneva as the Director-General of ILO, another huge post that he is heading.

It is fitting that this honour is being bestowed upon His Excellency Mr. Somavia by a media organization because he has for a long time and throughout his career, if I may say, advocated the importance of media as a catalyst for social change.

During the lead-up to the Social Summit, for example, he was always concerned about the need for public relations or public information activities. And as a matter of fact, I must thank him in my own capacity as head of DPI for his involvement in the task force which led to the reorientation of the Department of Public Information, and I wish to avail myself of this opportunity to personally thank him for his commitment and contribution to that exercise.

Indeed, we can go and on for hours if we mentioned about his contribution to the well-being of the world. But I would like to stop here. It is again my great pleasure and honour to have these introductory remarks to introduce once again His Excellency Mr. Somavia. Many congratulations and once again the Inter Press Service has made an excellent decision to honour this fine and most outstanding diplomat, giant and a gentleman.

Thank you very much.