Fulbright Association
 
 
 
 
Fulbright Association
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Kofi Annan Congratulates
Former President Clinton


U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan congratulates former President Clinton on his receiving the Fulbright Prize.
(Photograph by Sharon Farmer.)

  

Dear Bill, I’m sorry I could not be there in person to celebrate with you today.  But Bill, I know you will understand.  After all, you have won the Fulbright Prize for International Understanding. 

You have done so much to deserve this award.  It’s hard to know where to start.  From your efforts for peace in the Middle East, to your work in the struggle against AIDS, you have been a valuable ally of the United Nations.  For the Clinton Global Initiative, you have been a true visionary, focusing on poverty, climate, religious reconciliation, and governance.  You have helped people understand that development, security, and human rights and the rule of law, are vital, interlinked pillars if we are to make this world better.

            And as the U.N.’s Special Envoy for the Tsunami Recovery, you have made it your mission to “build back better” than what was there before.  In this way, you have given practical meaning to your passion for development and helped improve millions of lives. 

Bill, you have achieved quite a lot since leaving office and what you have achieved is an inspiration to us all—especially those of us who are also leaving office ourselves.  The warmest congratulations on this award, from Nane and from me.  And above all, keep up the fight. 

 

These remarks were delivered at the J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding Award Ceremony honoring William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd President of the United States of America, on April 12, 2006, at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C.