October 12, 2001
Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien today warmly welcomed the award of the 2001
Nobel Peace Prize to the United Nations and Secretary-General Kofi Annan:
"I am pleased that for its highly symbolic centenary Nobel Peace
Prize, the Nobel Committee has chosen to honour Secretary-General Kofi Annan
and the organization he has been serving so faithfully throughout his career.
We can never say enough just how important a role the United Nations have
played in humanity’s progress over the last 50 years. Its work on
international law, human rights, peace and security have redefined the way
the world conducts itself. And it is an article of faith throughout the
world that the United Nations have been and remain today an asset to all
humanity and the world’s best defence against the forces of chaos.
This has never been more true than under the leadership of
Secretary-General Kofi Annan – a man who embodies the values and ideals of
the United Nations, and who has devoted his life to the betterment of the
organization. Most recently, he has been the driving force and the
embodiment of the international community’s response to the HIV/AIDS
crisis. He is rebuilding faith in the future of Africa. He is also, through
the Brahimi report he commissioned, bringing urgently needed reforms to the
UN’s peacekeeping vocation.
As the world enters into one of its greatest struggles, we can only find
comfort in the knowledge that the United Nations, its staff and chief
officer have been honoured as ambassadors of peace. More than ever, we will
need their dedication, competence and humanity to guide and inspire us all."
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