Statement on the occasion of
the FAO presentation of the Ceres medal to Her Excellency
Vidgis Finnbogadottir
Reykjavík, Iceland, 22 October 1997
Your Excellency Prime Minister,
Your Excellency Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Your Excellency Minister for Agriculture,
Your Excellency Minister for Fisheries,
Your Excellency Mrs. Vigdís
Finnbogadóttir,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure and privilege
for me to be here in Reykjavik today and to have the
opportunity of bestowing on you the Ceres Medal which has
been struck by the Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations (FAO) as a token of the deep esteem in
which you are held by FAO and by the international
community at large.
As you are no doubt aware, according
to ancient Roman beliefs, Ceres - the Roman Goddess of
Agriculture - not only taught humankind how to work the
land, plant seeds and produce food, but also protected
the crops and kept her people from hunger and
want.
We live in an age when human beings in
general no longer look to goddesses for progress and
prosperity and to deliver them from their sufferings.
They look instead to leaders who have the determination,
the compassion, the dynamism and the strength to take
forceful practical action to overcome their misery and
help improve their lives. And you have been, and I have
no doubt that you will continue to be, a determined
leader for progress and development and a dynamic
advocate for human rights.
Considering the popular manifestations
of warmth and sympathy which have characterized your
Presidency you have been not only a great leader but also
an example to be followed by the younger generation of
your country. It could not have been otherwise. Your deep
commitment to your country is most laudable. You have
reiterated on many occasions: "There is nothing I want
more than the well-being of this nation". And you have
constantly and relentlessly drawn the attention of your
people to the importance of the Icelandic language, the
value of Icelandic cultural heritage and devoted
particular attention to the importance of investing in
education.
This has helped instil a feeling of
national pride and identity among your people, and
Iceland has gained the reputation of being a
highly-educated nation. In this connection, I sincerely
hope that your dream to see Iceland establish "an
Icelandic information bank and be in thevanguard of
research in such fields as fisheries, geology, geothermal
and hydro power" will become a reality in the not too
distant future.
Your concerns were not confined to
Iceland only; you have always shown great sensitivity for
the plight of the less fortunate all over the world as
reflected in your words: "The terrible want and distress
we see in distant countries seem remote, and yet they are
so close to us." It is this concern for the less
fortunate of the world which made you look beyond the
shores of Iceland and support the international community
in development initiatives throughout the world. In this
context, permit me, Madam, to pay the highest tribute to
you for your most generous support to the ideals and
activities of FAO.
Having been the first democratically
elected woman Head of State, you have demonstrated your
concern about the unequal status of women in the world.
This is also reflected in the strong support that Iceland
has provided in defining and implementing FAO's Plan of
Action on Women in Development, which pursues as one of
its strategic objectives the enhancement of women's
participation in decision and policy-making processes at
all levels.
I wish to note with particular
importance that you have also been active in promoting
two other sectors which fall under the mandate of FAO and
which are of major importance to your country: forestry
and fisheries.
While travelling within your country
during your presidency, it became a tradition to see you
planting trees surrounded by a throng of cheerful
children. The fact that Iceland was, to all intents and
purposes, "treeless", was of great concern to you, and
you have therefore encouraged and personally contributed
to the afforestation efforts with a view to restoring -
at least in part - the woods and vegetation which existed
over 60 percent of the Icelandic territory at the time of
the Settlement.
Since the cutting of trees and shrubs
for fuel and for building settlements devastated a virgin
land, it was the sea that kept Iceland alive. Although
fish is in abundance in the sea surrounding Iceland, the
island nonetheless ran the risk of finding itself in a
situation of being left deprived of this fundamental
resource for its population due to overexploitation and
overfishing. Iceland's surrounding waters also became a
favourite far away fishing ground. It is therefore not
surprising that Iceland was in the forefront in the
efforts to achieve sustainable fisheries development. It
has been a staunch supporter of FAO's fisheries
programmes which contribute to sustainable fisheries and
aquaculture production. It was in pursuance of these
policies that you had accepted to be the guest speaker at
FAO on the occasion of the sixth World Food Day in
October 1986, the theme of which was Fishermen and
Fishing Communities. Your statement on that occasion was
a hymn to Iceland, to its people and to its fisheries
resources. You will no doubt remember that you declared
that "In Iceland, the fish can sing, just like a bird.
And the sound it makes is music for mankind,
everywhere."
In presenting this Ceres Medal, I wish
to convey my deepest appreciation for the unfailing
support that you, Madam, and the Icelanders have always
extended to FAO in its pursuit for a world free from
hunger and want.
On this occasion, I also recall with
great pleasure and appreciation your involvement in the
World Food Summit last November during which you had
graciously accepted to chair and guide the discussions of
the meeting on "Reinvigorating FAO : A mandate for
Change", the recommendations of which have helped us all
to see the way forward.
Madam, it only remains for me to
present now, on behalf of FAO, this Ceres Medal to a
great leader and a great lady.
