United Nations Nelson Mandela Painting Inauguration part1

Jan Beekman, the United Nations and Nelson Mandela

The Belgian Mission to the United Nations has presented a gift - a portrait of Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa, painted by Jan Beekman, a Flemish artist - to the United Nations on Thursday 1 March 2007.

Asha-Rose Migiro, UN Deputy Secretary-General; Ms. Alice Hecht, Chief of UN Protocol; Sangqu Baso, Deputy Permanent Representative of South Africa to the UN; Johan Verbeke, Permanent Representative of Belgium to the UN; and the artist Jan Beekman, attended the unveiling of the portrait at UN headquarters in New York.

Evoking her own recollections of when Nelson Mandela, or Prisoner 46664, walked out of prison after 27 years, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro paid tribute to the founding president of post-apartheid South Africa at the unveiling of his portrait at UN Headquarters in New York. Most Africans of my generation retain a very strong association with Mr. Mandelas walk to freedom, Ms. Migiro said at ceremony at UN Headquarters Thursday evening.

The portrait by Jan Beekman could not hang in a better place, she said. Its spot near the Security Council brings one of the world foremost voices for peace and justice to the worlds leading forum for international peace and security.

Ms. Migiro also emphasized how Mandela, who she called a true human treasure, stands for tolerance, equality, justice and forgiveness, values also cherished by the UN. I hope that having Nelson Mandela watching over us will help inspire us in our daily work for a better, more just world, she said. After all, that would be the best tribute we can all pay to this great man.

Source: http://www.un.org

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• peace