Prague, 4 April – UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon received a gold medal from Charles University for services to the development of cooperation and mutual understanding between nations. He received the medal from Charles University Rector Tomáš Zima as part of his appearance and talk at the Grand Aula of the Carolinum.

The Secretary General dedicated the award to the thousands of UN employees working across the world to promote the idea of peace and human rights, often in very difficult circumstances. He said that it was precisely these people who are, for him, the true heroes who should receive the award.

In his talk he mentioned the important role played by the Czech Republic as a member of the United Nations and its importance in helping countries in their transition to democracy. In the words of the Secretary General, we live in a rapidly changing world, starting with climate change and ending with the major migration of the inhabitants of a planet that is seeing a large number of conflicts. While some of these – the problems in Syria, South Sudan and the Central African Republic – do not occupy the front pages of newspapers, and may therefore seem less important, they could, in the longer-term, represent a more significant danger, and are worthy of greater attention.

The Secretary General also spoke of his three priorities, which include the fulfilment of development targets for the millennium. These are increased access to basic education for children, and a reduction in poverty, across the whole world. When the deadline for these targets expires next year, the UN Secretary General wishes to establish a vision for the next fifteen years and which would, apart from developing countries, also concern developed countries and economic, social and ecological issues. The third of his priorities is the fight against climate change, which he said had been clearly proven by scientists.

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