Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen
Welcome to Egypt and to the New Library of Alexandria. It is a pleasure to welcome such eminent guests to our Bibliotheca Alexandrina, dedicated to the values of freedom of expression, mutual respect, openness, rationality, dialogue and learning. Values that are essential to promote good governance, tolerance and a humane society.
Governance is not about whether the system has two parties or multiple parties, whether it is parliamentary or presidential. Good governance is about transparency, accountability, pluralism, participation, the rule of law and free flow of information. These characteristics are also those that foster democracy and respect of human rights. From human rights to gender equality is but a step, for women’s rights are human rights, and ultimately no society has progressed without educating its girls and empowering its women.
Today, a distinguished African who has been remarkably successful in his own career, has chosen to give back to the continent a gift… and it is a truly remarkable gift. Mr. Mohamed Ibrahim, Mo Ibrahim to his friends and to the whole world, has decided that it was in promoting governance and leadership in Sub-Saharan Africa that he could do the most good. He has chosen to do this by highlighting the role of exemplars among the leaders who have now left office, and who stand without the mantle of power, but with the power of their legacy. Thus was the Mo Ibrahim prize born… the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership, the largest award in the world.
Mo Ibrahim’s idea rapidly took hold, and it inspired many illustrious people to rally to his amazing initiative. We are honored to have so many of them here tonight: From the distinguished Founder, to the eminent members of Board of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, from the academic team at Harvard, to the world-renowned Prize Committee headed by Secretary-General Kofi Anan, welcome each and every one. You reviewed and evaluated, you judged and you chose, and we are delighted that we are the venue where the first illustrious winner of the Mo Ibrahim prize is to be honored… We hope that our Library shall also be the repository of the papers of the Foundation and its activities, and the keeper of the records of this remarkable initiative and its outstanding winners.
And as I thank Mo Ibrahim for all he is doing, I extend a very special welcome to President Chissano of Mozambique, our guest of honor today. A peace maker who brought an end to 16 years of civil war, a leader who brought peace and stability to his nation, and who laid the foundations of economic growth and established institutions of good governance in a war-ravaged country. We celebrate his achievements on this very special occasion, this occasion that shows the world that Africa, the birthplace of humanity and the cradle of civilizations, is also the place of contemporary merit and ability, from which a splendid future shall be born. A future inspired by Africans, crafted by Africans and where the benefits of development shall be for all… driven by a vision that a people’s greatness is measured by the quality of the lives of their poorest citizens not by the size of their armies or the scale of their buildings..
Inspired by this prize and its laureates, a young generation shall go forth into the journey of their lives, and work to include the excluded, reach the unreached, remember the forgotten, think of the unborn, give hope to the forlorn, and lay the foundation for better tomorrows.
Thank you.