Thessaloniki: Today the Empress Theofano Award is awarded in the Rotunda

The 4th pan-European Empress Theophano Award is presented at the United Nations in the name of Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, world leader of the world’s largest international organization that promotes multilateral cooperation.

The ceremony will take place today, Thursday November 9, 2023 in Thessaloniki, at the Rotunda monument, a symbol of multiculturalism, and will be attended by leading personalities from Europe and Greece.

The General Secretary appointed the S.A. Mr. Miguel Ángel Moratinos, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and High Representative of the Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), to represent him at the Award Ceremony.

Among those who will attend today’s ceremony are Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the European Commission, Mary McAleese, ex-President of Ireland, Rita Süssmuth, ex-Speaker of the German Parliament, Sir Ivan Rogers, ex-Ambassador of England in the European Union, Maria Luisa Poncela, former Deputy Minister of Trade and Secretary General of Research, Technology and Innovation of Spain.

The presentation of the Award Ceremony will be made by the journalist and Director of the “Kathimerini” newspaper, Alexis Papachelas.

The Award Ceremony will be broadcast by ERT3 (start time 18:30), as well as on the foundation’s website www.theophano.eu in English.

It is noted that the Rotunda will remain closed to the public today. From Friday 10/11/2023 the monument will be open during the current hours.

This year’s award

More relevant than ever, this year the Theofano Foundation focuses on the key role of humanitarianism, especially in the light of multilateralism as a catalyst for addressing global challenges and crises. The awarding of the 2023 Empress Theophano Prize to the United Nations is in recognition of this organization’s valuable contribution to building bridges between nations, its commitment to peace and its work to strengthen international cooperation for a safer and more prosperous humanity, ideally which are at the core of the basic principles of the Theofano Foundation. In the words of Mr. António Guterres himself, world leader of the largest international organization that promotes multilateral cooperation and addresses global issues with an eye on future generations “We must transcend our differences to transform our future.”

Mr. Guterres, accepted the award on behalf of the United Nations, stating: “On behalf of the women and men of the United Nations, it is a great honor for me to accept the “Empress Theophano” Award. Thank you very much for recognizing the work of United Nations staff who work tirelessly around the world. All are committed to serving humanity, promoting peace, promoting sustainable development, protecting the most vulnerable groups, defending human rights and building bridges of understanding.”

The Theofano Award

The Theophano Award was created to reward individuals or organizations that have contributed or are contributing significantly to building bridges between people, nations, ideologies, as well as improving mutual understanding of our different roots.

Since the establishment of the Prize in 2019, this initiative expresses in the noblest way the compelling narrative and the urgent need for contemporary cooperation: in 2020 the Prize focused on Education, awarded to the Erasmus program of the European Commission and personally received by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. In 2021 Science was in the spotlight: Dr. Ugur Sahin and Dr. Ozlem Turecci, the scientific couple who developed the first vaccine against the coronavirus, were the recipients of the award for their dedication to the Common Good. Last year, in 2022, the Prize highlighted the key role of Art as a common ground for mutual understanding and was awarded to world-renowned conductor Mr. Daniel Barenboim and his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra initiative. , a highly symbolic project for building bridges between peoples.

The Award is presented annually to the historic Rotunda of Thessaloniki, a landmark monument and cultural heritage monument that marks Roman, Byzantine, Orthodox, Ottoman and Greek influence, historically reflecting the multicultural influences of Europe.

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