Your Excellencies and distinguished guests!
We are gathered today to congratulate and encourage the 2020 Sunhak Peace Prize Laureates. I sincerely thank you for joining us on this special occasion. Furthermore, I would like to welcome and thank the former and current heads of states and various representatives from around the world who are here with us. This year’s award ceremony is especially meaningful as it marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of the founder, Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon.

Above all, I would like to extend my deepest respect and sincere congratulations to this year’s laureates: Founders’ Centenary Award Laureate, former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and the Sunhak Peace Prize Laureates President Macky Sall of the Republic of Senegal and International Honory President of Religion for Peace Bishop Munib Younan. Your dedication and achievements in realizing peace for the sake of humanity have made you the heroes of today’s ceremony.

The Sunhak Peace Prize was foundedat the behest of Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, the wife of the late Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon, to honor and preserve his ideals, legacy and achievements. In selecting this year’s laureates, the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee focused on the founders’ principles of interdependence, mutual prosperity and universally shared values to commemorate the centenary of Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon.

Distinguished guests!
Peace for humanity can only be achieved when a peaceful global community in which all nations live together in prosperity and in respect of each otheris realized. As a mere student of the humanitiesand not a religious or political leader, I have had endless respect and the highest esteemfor Rev. Moon’sinsight into history of human civilization that transcends any and all secular boundaries and discrimination and for his lifelong endeavor and consistency in word and action toward love and achieving peace. Rev. Moon has pioneered the pathtoward humanity’s common prosperitythrough movements that dissolved barriers, promoted the standardization of technology, and advanced religious harmony worldwide. With the heart of a father, Rev. Moon desired to embrace all humanity. I believe that his leadership of lovewill serve as a great lesson tothe leaders around the world today who,led by national interest, are unable to see the wider and greater world and future.

Distinguished guests!
The founders have consistently emphasized throughout their lives that“Peace can only be achieved when we dissolve the barriers that lie between us and help and love each other.”In a world that is becoming more and more divided, we must act swiftly to foster a culture of peace. We need to move beyond the interests of personal and narrower gain toward creating a new culture of peace for the sake of humanity’sfuture fate. The laureates receiving the awards today, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, President Macky Sall of the Republic of Senegal and International Honory President of Religion for Peace Bishop Munib Younan have led the way in creating such a world. I would like to express, once again, my deepest respects and heartfelt congratulations to the three great people receiving the 2020 Sunhak Peace Prize today.

Distinguished guests!
The Sunhak Peace Prize will continue to discover courageous and righteous people who are dedicating their lives for humanity’s peace. Let us all create a noble culture of peace full of grace.

Lastly, thank you again for joining us today and I wish you and your families peace and prosperity.
Thank you.

Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon,
Dr. Hong, Chairman of the Sun Hak Peace Prize Committee,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

And of course, our recipient of the award this morning whose achievements we are celebrating, His Excellency, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,

Let me begin by expressing how deeply honored and grateful that I am to be able to be given this opportunity to make a few remarks. I don’t want to go through the process of expounding all of the achievements of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. They are already here in this book in front of you. But I can tell you there are many, many, many more which are not listed here. I can tell you that from my own experience in interacting with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon over the years when he was Secretary-General and when I was in office.

I remember the times when I was talking about climate change and I was always trying to pester Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to hear me because I felt nobody else was listening to me. And I remember the time, Mr. Secretary-General, when you invited me to join 26 leaders mostly from the developed world at the dinner before the meeting in Copenhagen.

And I think Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon did that very deliberately because I had been saying a lot of things about climate change and he wanted to see what I would do in the midst of the President of the United States, President of China, all of these big people from big countries. And I recall Mr. Ban Ki-moon looking at me while all of the discussion was going on and inviting me to comment. Eventually, I built up the courage to say a few words and I scribbled a note, “Can I make a few remarks?” And I did.

Ever since that time, I think Mr. Ban Ki-moon listened to the voice, the message coming from the small countries, the people who really attend the United Nations without really being seen, without really being heard.

And I say this with a great deal of emotion because Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon really was the first one to listen to what I was saying, even to the point of being convinced to visit my country in 2011. And I remember that very, very distinctly.

I remember Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon going on the trip, a tour to visit all the places that are flooded very frequently, to visit the people who suffer every time there is flooding, a bit of a storm.

And I remember Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon coming back in the evening as we met before the reception, and I asked him, “So what have you seen?” And I can never forget what he said. He said, “Mr. President, I have been listening to you year after year at the United Nations General Assembly. And I must admit that I never truly understood but now, not only do I understand, but I feel and I promise you, I will do everything in my power to do as much as I can.”

And ladies and gentlemen, he has done it. He has delivered on his promise. He has succeeded to put what I have always regarded as the greatest challenge to humanity. He has succeeded in putting climate change at the top of the UN agenda.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon did not elaborate on all of the good things that he did. He did not make reference to the establishment of the Green Climate Fund, which is also a product of his time as Secretary-General. Here in Korea, we have the Global Green Institute. In 2016, following a meeting in the Pacific, we in the Pacific region are small islands, dots in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. What do we have? Islands. Small islands. But huge ocean states. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recognized the relevance, not only the relevance, but the critical importance of oceans not only to the changing climate but to humanity with the result that now the ocean is an integral part, a key part and critical part of the international agenda.

In all of these interactions that I’ve had with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, there are two things that I observe. Unlike many people, he’s comfortable to interact with the biggest leaders, leaders from the biggest countries and also very sympathetic to interact with the leaders from small countries.

Not only that, but I can see, as we have seen from what he has done, the sustainable development agenda, the focus on the women’s issues, now climate change, my perception, perspective of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is he is one of the greatest humanitarian people that I know, perhaps in the world. He cared about the small people. He was willing to step forward and take the burden of the small people.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Many people have asked me, “Where is your prepared speech?” And I said, “No, I don’t want to read a prepared speech. I want to speak from my heart.”

As Secretary-General also said, he is a man with courage to step forward and do things that many would shy away from doing. The engagement of civil society, the engagement of the private sector, the engagement of people outside of the government in the international discussion is something that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon brought in during his term in office. To tackle climate change, this was absolutely vital.

So, ladies and gentlemen,

I am very, very proud to take this opportunity to offer my congratulations, the congratulations of, I am sure, all of us here but also the congratulations of our people, the vulnerable people, the people that have benefitted and will benefit from the work of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

He unreservedly deserves the honor that he has been bestowed.

Congratulations, once again, and may you live forever.

Thank you.

Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, host and founder,
Dr. Hong Il-sik, the Chair of the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee,
Your excellencies,
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,
And guests from all around the world,
It is very nice to meet you all. More than anything, I am very honored and highly delighted to attend today’s Sunhak Peace Prize Ceremony in commemoration of Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s centennial.

Congratulations to our laureates, Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, President Macky Sall, and Bishop Munib A. Younan for receiving today’s award. The three laureates have all made outstanding achievements in promoting world peace. And that is why we are here. I would like to sincerely thank Secretary–General Ban Ki-moon for his interest in Africa during his time in office as Secretary-General of the United Nations. I recollect with nostalgia the various bilateral talks and visits we had when you were in office and I was also the President of Nigeria. I also thank President Macky Sall, my good friend, for his good governance in Africa. Lastly, thank you Bishop Munib Younan for your great contribution to religious harmony in the Middle East.

President Macky Sall has shown me a model of good governance through democratization and economic development in Senegal, from which I could also gain lots of inspiration. Soon Africa will become a land of opportunity, and it will grow into a major leading force in the 21st century.

The next award winner, Bishop Munib A. Younan has practiced interreligious dialogue in Jerusalem, one of the most intense places afflicted by religious confrontation. The first condition for coexistence is listening to the opponent and having a conversation. For us to enjoy the coexistence the world must embrace dialogue of civilization.

In that sense, I strongly support the practical activities of Bishop Younan through interfaith dialogue.

Youth from around the world will respect and learn from the lives of today’s laureates as they pursue their dreams. Please allow me to extend my heartfelt respect to the winners today.

The founder of Sunhak Peace Prize was a great leader who promoted world peace under the clear vision of “one global family.”

I would like to recall the deep objectives of the founder and hope that the Sunhak Peace Prize, which is celebrating its 4th anniversary, will continue to contribute to promoting world peace, mutual prosperity and the happiness of all global citizens.

Let me commend the Chair and members of the Peace Prize Committee for an excellent work.

Respected laureates,
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,
Please continue to take part in promoting world peace. Once again, congratulations to our distinguished award winners and all the best to the progress of Sunhak Peace Prize.

And to our host and founder, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, we appreciate your contributions to world peace and economic development.

I thank you all.