Brazil’s President Lula Given World Economic Forum Global Statesmanship Award

On behalf of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazilian Minister of Foreign Relations Celso Amorim accepted the first Global Statesmanship Award at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2010.

“This award increases my responsibility as a leader, and my country’s responsibility as an increasingly present and active player on the global scene,” Lula da Silva said in a prepared text read by Minister Amorim.

The address offered an overview of the accomplishments of the Lula da Silva administration since his first appearance at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos seven years ago.

He noted that “Thirty-one million Brazilians have joined the middle class and 20 million have been lifted out of absolute poverty” in that period.

“I would like to stress that the best policy for development is the fight against poverty,” he said. “It is also one of the best recipes for peace. And we found out, last year, that it is also a powerful shield against crises.”

Introducing the new Global Statesmanship Award, Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, praised President Lula for "His dynamism, courage, innovative and disciplined leadership were instrumental to deliver the results we all know about."

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