Kofi Annan ’s address on receiving the MacArthur International Justice Award
“Sovereignty should no longer be seen as a privilege but as a very heavy responsibility. Every State has to protect its people: it is only when States respect fundamental human rights and uphold the dignity and worth of each person, that sovereignty will be recognized by all as credible and legitimate.”
These were some of the remarks by former United Nations Secretary General, Kofi A. Annan, when he was honored with The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s MacArthur Award for International Justice on March 20th, 2008. Please click the video below to watch his address in full.
Mr. Annan was the first recipient of the MacArthur Award for International Justice. In selecting Annan for the award, the Foundation’s Board cited his role in establishing the International Criminal Court. They also noted Annan’s leadership in developing the Responsibility to Protect.
