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Former Portuguese president chosen as UN envoy to Alliance of Civilizations (2007-04-26) |
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appointed the former Portuguese president Jorge Sampaio as the first United Nations High Representative for the Alliance of Civilization.
Mr. Ban designated Mr. Sampaio in the post after consulting with Spain and Turkey, the co-sponsors of the Alliance, which was created to try to tackle fear and suspicion, bridge divides and overcome prejudices and polarizations between Islam and the West.
“The High Representative will provide the vision and leadership required, especially to promote the Alliance of Civilizations as a credible and viable attempt to diminish the dangerous tensions between diverse societies and their threat to international stability,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters.
Mr. Sampaio, 67, served as Portuguese president from March 1996 to March 2006. He served also as former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Special Envoy to Stop Tuberculosis (TB). Mr. Sampaio previously held numerous public offices, including Mayor of Lisbon in 1989, Member of Parliament and member of the European Human Rights Commission of the Council of Europe. |
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