The Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr Ban Ki-moon, accepted the Tipperary International Peace Award at the Ballykisteen Hotel, in Limerick Junction, Co Tipperary, yesterday.
Speaking at the event, Mr Ban Ki-moon stated that the Tipperary peace award pays tribute not only to himself, but also pays tribute to the great work being undertaken now and in the past by the United Nations.
In his acceptance speech he also stated that he would be happy to give an award to Ireland for its global citizenship, its commitment to human rights and its role in peace keeping and development.
This event was the first of the UN chief’s engagements here in Ireland over the next two days. He will deliver a keynote address in Dublin tonight touching in particular on Ireland’s role in International peacekeeping and the migrant and refugee crisis currently being experienced in Syria and the Mediterranean.
Mr Martin Quinn, latter honorary secretary of the Tipperary International Peace Award, stated that Mr Ban Ki-moon was being honoured for his work on climate change, a new development agenda and his led response to conflicts and natural disasters.
In addressing the UN Secretary General Mr Quinn stated; “At a moment of division, you have sought to be a bridge-builder; in a period of economic upheaval, you have strived to give voice to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people and in a world of deepening interconnectedness, you have pursued wide-ranging efforts to adapt the United Nations to face a new generation of challenges and threats.”
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