Winner
Government Award
Dr Theo-Ben Gurirab
Namibia's Dr Theo-Ben Gurirab has a 35-year political legacy that includes presiding over the adoption of the historic United Nations Millennium Declaration in 2000. Serving as the president of the 54th session of the United Nations General Assembly, he was also instrumental in driving the UN reform process.
The Millennium Declaration was the basis for the introduction of the millennium development goals, which put in place a framework and targets for tackling world poverty by 2015.
The judges praised Gurirab's role in securing "the single most comprehensive, inclusive, agenda-setting and globally embraced poverty-focused development framework in the past 10 years.
"There is increasing momentum on the millennium development goals as there are now less than five years to the 2015 deadline, as well as increased levels of discussion and planning about new global development targets beyond 2015. "It is an opportune time to reinforce the foundations of the millennium development goal framework and stimulate thinking about a way forward beyond 2015."
In response to the accolade, Gurirab said Africa now needs "more and diversified drivers of change. In 2000, at the time I was president of the UN General Assembly, optimism was high in Africa. "I spoke of the African renaissance. We branded the new 21st century as the African century. We embraced the African diaspora anew. There was enthusiastic reciprocity and focused dialogue. "But today we appear, intellectually, somewhat hesitating, if not confused by global challenges," he said.
Gurirab has served as Namibia's National Assembly speaker since 2005. Before that he was the country's prime minister, held different ministerial posts and was a high-ranking UN official. He was instrumental in for securing Namibia's independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990. His political career started in the early 1960s, at a time when Namibians were fighting against South Africa's domination of their country.
He left the then South West Africa for Tanzania as an exiled politician in 1962 and remained abroad for 27 years. During this time he lobbied various world leaders, particularly through the UN, to secure Namibia's independence. One of the highlights of his career at this time was negotiating UN Security Council Resolution 435 in 1978, which contained an internationally accepted plan to ensure Namibia's independence.
Gurirab was among the first South West African People's Organisation (Swapo) liberation movement leaders to return home in 1989 when their country was readying for democracy. He helped to organise the independence elections and was a leading Swapo negotiator who signed a cease-fire agreement with the South African regime in March 1989.
Gurirab said his inspiration to attain human rights was informed by the German and South African occupations of his homeland. "I grew up being aware of Namibia's history of anti-colonial resistance and the sacrifices of our heroes and heroines against Germany's genocide campaign. "During 1904 to 1908 the German colonial army carried out the 20th century's first genocide ever, in Namibia against our people. Just earlier this month some of the skulls were returned to Windhoek from Germany," he said.
"In 1948 the South African National Party came to power and entrenched apartheid, police brutality and separate development. Well, that was the start of what the rest of my life got involved in. "The whole region felt the impact and direction. "I was young and these events sparked in me an interest in history, world affairs and to fight against racism."
Gurirab said that apartheid was "enemy number one. It permeated all aspects of the society and made black-white relations the defining criterion between human beings. Nothing else could be a greater challenge," he said.
Gurirab qualified as a primary schoolteacher in Namibia in 1960 and had "most of my key tendencies of the liberation struggle sorted out". "I was at that stage able to look ahead and prioritise my personal choice. Southern Africa had awakened and freedom was on the way."