Mandela embodies UN's highest values, Ban says

(July 20, 2009) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon celebrated the 91st birthday of Nelson Mandela on Saturday, calling the founding president of post-apartheid South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize laureate an “exemplary global citizen.” “He inspired people across the world, and across the generations,” Ban said at an event to commemorate Mandela Day in New York, paying tribute to his contributions to a “democratic, multi-racial South Africa” and his continued tireless efforts to promote peace and human dignity worldwide. “Indeed, Nelson Mandela is a living embodiment of the highest values of the United Nations,” Ban said, adding that “many people, facing tribulations of their own, have found both solace and fortitude in his example. “Above all, he has shown the difference one person can make in the face of injustice, conflict, poverty and disease,” the UN chief added. Meanwhile a host of global entertainment stars and politicos toasted Nelson Mandela's 91st birthday with an all-star concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York. While the South African freedom fighter could not make the festivities, his presence was felt inside and outside the theatre. Mandela appeared last year for a concert in London's Hyde Park to celebrate his 90th birthday but since then, Mandela's doctors have advised that he no longer travel internationally.