I am delighted to offer my warmest congratulations to Festus Mogae, the former President of Botswana and my Special Envoy on climate change, on receiving the Africana Heritage Award.

As Botswana's third President, Mr. Mogae brought an extensive background in economic and financial issues into the political realm. He demonstrated a keen awareness of the need to confront difficult issues in order to overcome them, becoming a leader on HIV/AIDS at a time when the disease was devastating southern Africa. Through his compassionate leadership, he helped to combat the stigma associated with HIV while galvanizing resources and action for prevention and treatment.

President Mogae has also been a strong advocate of African-owned and African-led development, and of partnerships with civil society, the media, the private sector and others as a vital means to advance this cause. I am particularly grateful to President Mogae for his passionate efforts to mobilize international action on climate change, one of the leading global challenges of our times. As he has rightly said, “The stakes could not be higher.”

I am grateful to the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture, which is renowned for its scholarship and excellence, for recognizing President Mogae with this prestigious Award, and I wish him all success in his future endeavours.