I am delighted to be here tonight and honored to present this award.

The health, dignity and rights of men, women, children and adolescents are the cornerstones of our societies.

Gender inequality is a major cause and effect of hunger and poverty: it is estimated that 60 percent of the world’s chronically hungry people are women and girls and one in five, are children under the age of five!

I strongly believe that achieving gender equality will be one of the greatest improvements to our world and is absolutely essential to building vibrant, healthy and prosperous societies and economies. Achieving gender equality is crucial to reaching the poverty and hunger reduction targets of the Global Goals.

The Global Goals promise a Healthy, Not Hungry, equitable world by 2030. One person who has truly contributed to reaching this ambitious goal, is;

Bernard Coulibaly, deputy prefect in Yorosso, Southern Mali, who has worked tirelessly to reduce child malnutrition in this region, where levels were once critical.

Please give a big hand and a warm welcome Bernard Coulibaly.

Merci, Bernard pour tout votre travail.