FAO honours SL President with Ceres award

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 May 2004, 17:22 GMT]
The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Friday honoured Sri Lanka's President, Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge, with the presentation of the Ceres medal at an event held at the Ceylon Intercontinental Hotel. FAO Director General, Dr.Jacques Diuof, delivered the award to Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, sources said.

The FAO aid it conferred the Ceres medal as a token of its esteem and respect for Ms. Kumaratunge's commitment to improving food security and nutrition and to achieving the target set by the international community to halve the number of undernourished people in the World day 2001.

The Organization further states," [The award] is in recognition of her efforts to foster rural development, food security and peace in Sri Lanka, her support to the international efforts to reduce hunger and under-nutrition in the world, as well as her personal collaboration with the FAO in the 1970s."

The Ceres medal has been awarded since 1971 by the FAO, to distinguished women who have contributed to the fight against hunger. Recipients of the medal included the late Indian Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Mother Theresa, former President of Iceland, Vigdis Finnbogadottir, Queen Sirikit of Thailand, New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark, Prime Minister Ms.Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh, the late Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Mrs. Srimavo Bandaranaike (1976), and Philippines President, Ms. Gloria Arroyo.