Speeches and Transcripts

3 October 2017 (Tuesday) at 7pm

Grand Hall, Level 3, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

The Honourable Tung Chee-hwa, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; Mrs. Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Dr. Tan Tieniu, Vice Minister of Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Mr. Hu Jianzhong, Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; distinguished guests, and esteemed journalists.

Firstly, I would like to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend this evening’s “LUI Che Woo Prize – Prize for World Civilisation” Prize Presentation Ceremony.

I am delighted to be gathered here with so many people from different countries, all of whom have worked hard to promote the development of world civilisation. Together, we shall witness the award’s most significant moment.

Most notably, it is our honour to have the three LUI Che Woo Prize 2017 laureates and their representatives attending in person tonight to accept the Prize, and receive everyone’s heartfelt congratulations. Let us welcome them with a warm round of applause.

Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional Chinese festival that adds further significance to tonight’s ceremony. The Mid-Autumn Festival signifies the meanings of "gratitude", "reunion" and "harmony" which are consistent with the LUI Che Woo Prize’s spirit.

The LUI Che Woo Prize aims to promote harmony as a core value; break boundaries between nations, ethnicities and religions; and promote global collaboration. Together, we aim to discover the best examples for the betterment of the welfare of mankind and sustainable development of the world, encourage a positive life attitude and be filled with inspiring positive energy.

I believe that, in our hearts, if we cherish all things, have mutual respect and mutual understanding for each other, and coexist in harmony, we will be able to find genuine spiritual satisfaction and happiness.

The three laureates of the 2nd LUI Che Woo Prize come from different countries, and are role models in their respective fields. They have worked tirelessly to build a better tomorrow for mankind. Not only have they promoted the development of world civilisation, but they also fully embody the essences of "gratitude", "reunion" and "harmony".

Without further ado, let me introduce the three very deserving laureates of this year’s LUI Che Woo Prize:

Mr. Xie Zhenhua is awarded the Sustainability Prize for his crucial role in championing international negotiations, culminating in the successful conclusion of the Paris Agreement in 2015, and his efforts in leading and promoting the prevention of climate change within China, thus becoming a model for other developing economies. Mr. Xie has shown his “gratitude” to nature through his dedicated work and achievements in climate change. I sincerely thank him for his remarkable contributions to the prevention of climate change.

Landesa is awarded the Welfare Betterment Prize. Landesa is an international non-governmental organisation that promotes the idea of “land to the tiller” in developing countries. Over the past 50 years, it has succeeded in securing land rights for over 120 million of the world’s poorest families in more than 50 countries. Landesa’s work has positively impacted the lives of countless families in extreme poverty, who are now truly able to experience the joy of “reunion” and thus possible to create bliss and wisdom in their lives. I sincerely thank Landesa for their remarkable contributions to the alleviation of poverty.

The International Paralympic Committee (“IPC”) is awarded the Positive Energy Prize for its outstanding work in proactively encouraging Para-athletes in celebration and competitive participation in sports, offering hope to people with an impairment, and changing society’s long-held biases towards them. The IPC has successfully fostered “harmony” among diverse groups, while bringing further happiness into the world. I would like to sincerely thank the IPC for their tremendous contribution to promoting the enhancement of positive energy.

Going forward, I anticipate that future laureates of the LUI Che Woo Prize, with their inspiring stories, will also serve as role models in their respective fields. We have already sent invitations to over 1,000 nominators inviting them to submit nominations for the LUI Che Woo Prize 2018. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage the nominators to actively participate in the nominations of the LUI Che Woo Prize 2018, sending more positive messages to benefit people all over the world.

Finally, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the contributions of the Board of Governors and the entire three-tier structured adjudication faction of the Prize.

The LUI Che Woo Prize is closely connected to our daily lives. Our team will continue to practise the spirit of the LUI Che Woo Prize – meanwhile, we hope to have your continued support going forward, and encourage you to share your thoughts and ideas with us. Only then can the seed of positivity continue to grow sustainably in our life-long mission to build a caring and loving world.

I wish you all have a happy Mid-Autumn Festival. Let us rejoice in the full moon’s glow, and unite as one. Thank you!