MAX SCHMIDHEINY FOUNDATION FREEDOM PRIZE FOR 2003 GOES TO KOFI ANNAN

St. Gallen, Switzerland 26.05.2003 (PROTEXT/ots) - KofiAnnan, Secretary General of the United Nations, is the recipientof the 2003 Max Schmidheiny Foundation Freedom Prize. At the33rd ISC-Symposium, an audience of more than 800 guests from allover the world were gathered in the great hall of the Universityof St. Gallen to hear Prof. Dr. Peter Gomez, President of theUniversity and the new Chairman of the Max SchmidheinyFoundation, praise the services and achievements of theprizewinner in absentia. Due to persistent laryngitis, the Secretary General was sadlyforced to cancel his participation in the award ceremony atshort notice. The Max Schmidheiny Foundation is neverthelesspleased to announce that he will come to St. Gallen at a laterdate in order to accept the prize in person. Every year, the Max Schmidheiny Foundation honours persons andinstitutions who have contributed to the maintenance and furtherdevelopment of a free social and economic order. It therebypromotes outstanding scientific, political and entrepreneurialinitiatives and achievements that safeguard individual freedomand responsibility. This year, the prize, which is being awardedfor the 25th time, is valued at USD 100,000.-. Kofi Annan has been honoured as a diplomat, whose shiningexample has caused the work of the United Nations to beassociated with steadfastness, trustworthiness and propriety,who with unique flair has pushed through reforms to dismantlebureaucracy and simplify internal structures, bolster theopenness of the United Nations towards non-governmentorganisations and in the final analysis increase the efficiencyof peacekeeping missions, and who has also inspired his countlessdiplomatic, peacekeeping and welfare staff with renewedconfidence in their common cause. Patiently yet tenaciously,Kofi Annan, the world citizen of exceptional quality, calls forresponsible action from the power-wielding states andcorporations of this earth, reminds them of their commitment notonly to their own citizens but also to the health of the globalsoul and, as a standard bearer of human rights dedicated to theidea that "humanity is indivisible", accepts the challenges ofthe U.N. as a world organisation in order to place theprotection of individual human dignity at centre stage regardlessof race, religion or gender. Kofi Annan is seen as a beacon ofhope to a battered world who, in the light of contagiousdiseases, persistent famine, unprecedented ethnic hotspots andthe clash of entire civilisations, endeavours to raise theawareness of those who live in relative affluence and peace aboutthe plight of the poor and war-ravaged and, throughperseverance, courage and compassion combined with a deep-rootedfaith in the concept of a moral world order, motivatesgovernments and interest groups with inexhaustible energy to seekpro- active answers to harrowing conflicts and thus make ameaningful contribution to the freedom of each and every humanbeing, a freedom that extends beyond all geopoliticalboundaries. ots Original Text Service: Max Schmidheiny Foundation Internet:http://www.presseportal.de Max Schmidheiny Foundation at the University of St. Gallen P.O.Box 1045 CH-9001 St. Gallen Phone

+41/71/227'22'22 E-Mail:pr@ isc-symposium.org Internet: http://www.ms-foundation.org andInternet: http://www.isc-symposium.org Max Schmidheiny Foundation at the University of St. Gallen Further information: http://www.ms-foundation.org andhttp://www.isc-symposium.org

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