Maurice F. Strong,
PCThe Queen's Privy Council for Canada , sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council,
is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign...
,
CCThe Order of Canada is an honour for merit that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the highest such order administered by the Governor General-in-Council, on behalf of the Queen of Canada. Created in 1967, to coincide with the centennial of Canadian...
,
OMThe Order of Manitoba is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Instituted in 1996 by Lieutenant Governor Peter M. Liba, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Gary Filmon,
the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council,
and is...
,
FRSCThe Royal Society of Canada , now known as the RSC: Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
(born April 29, 1929, in
Oak LakeOak Lake may refer to:*Oak Lake, a small town in the Rural Municipality of Sifton in south-western Manitoba, Canada, as well as the lake and tourist resort located in the same R.M.*Oak Lake, a lake in Carver County, Minnesota...
,
ManitobaManitoba is a prairie province in Canada and has an area of . Manitoba is bordered by the provinces of Ontario to the east and Saskatchewan to the west, the territory of Nunavut to the north, and the U.S. states of North Dakota and Minnesota to the south...
) is one of the world’s leading proponents of the United Nations' involvement in world affairs. Supporters consider him one of the world's leading
environmentalistsEnvironmentalism is a broad philosophy and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the state of the environment...
.
Secretary GeneralA number of international organizations, political parties, and other bodies use the title Secretary General or Secretary-General for their chief administrative officer.-International intergovernmental organizations:...
of both the 1972
United Nations Conference on the Human EnvironmentThe United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was an international conference convened under United Nations auspices held in Stockholm, Sweden from June 5-16,1972...
, which launched the world environment movement, and the 1992
Earth SummitThe United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the Rio Summit, Earth Summit was a major United Nations conference held in Rio de Janeiro from June 3 to June 14, 1992.- Overview :...
and first
Executive DirectorAn executive director is the senior manager of an organization, company, or corporation. The position is comparable to a chief executive officer or managing director...
of the
United Nations Environment ProgrammeThe UN Environment Programme coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and encourages sustainable development through sound environmental practices...
(UNEP), Strong has played a critical role in globalizing the
environmental movementThe environmental movement, a term that includes the conservation and green movements, is a diverse scientific, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues....
.
Early years: overcoming poverty and hardship
Strong has had a career in both
businessA business is a legally recognized organization designed to provide goods and/or services to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, most being privately owned and formed to earn profit that will increase the wealth of its owners and grow the business itself...
and
public serviceThe term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
, primarily in the fields of
international developmentInternational development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development – the development of greater quality of life for humans,...
, the environment, energy and
financeFinance is the science of funds management. The general areas of finance are business finance, personal finance, and public finance. Finance includes saving money and often includes lending money. The field of finance deals with the concepts of time, money and risk and how they are interrelated...
.
Strong grew up in a poor family
in a small town in Manitoba during the
Great DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. The
povertyPoverty is the condition of lacking basic human needs such as nutrition, clean water, health care, clothing, and shelter because of the inability to afford them. This is also referred to as absolute poverty or destitution...
and hardships suffered by his family and most others made a deep and enduring impression on him. At an early age, he questioned the justness of a system in which people had so many needs but could not obtain the work that would enable them to meet those needs. When the family began to receive a regular income for the first time, after his father joined the
Royal Canadian Air ForceThe Royal Canadian Air Force was the air force of Canada from 1924 until 1968 when the three branches of the Canadian military were merged into the Canadian Forces...
following the outbreak of
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was struck by the
ironyIrony is a situation, literary or rhetorical device, in which there is an incongruity, discordance or unintended connection that goes beyond the most evident meaning....
that it took a war to produce the jobs and the economic resources that were not available during the depression.
Despite their poverty, his working father and his mother, a former teacher, gave their children a sound but austere family life. His school principal, a
socialistSocialism refers to various theories of economic organization advocating public or direct worker ownership and administration of the means of production and allocation of resources, and a society characterized by equal access to resources for all individuals with a method of compensation based on...
, subjected Strong to a combination of strict discipline and accelerated learning opportunities. Strong completed
high schoolHigh school is the name used in some parts of the world, particularly in Scotland, Northern America and Oceania, to describe an institution that provides all or part of secondary education...
to university entrance level by the age of 14. At the same time, he devoted himself to the self-education which he has continued throughout his life, spending much time alone in nature observing and trying to understand its wonders and its cycles.
A stowaway
After a brief stint as a stowaway on a
Great LakesThe Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth. They are sometimes referred to as the "Third...
ship, the Noronic, he decided to go to sea and rode freight trains across Canada to
VancouverVancouver is a coastal city and major seaport located in the Lower Mainland of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. The city is bounded by English Bay, Burrard Inlet, the Fraser River, the city of Burnaby, and the University Endowment Lands. Vancouver is named after Captain George Vancouver, a...
. Along the way, he heard the statement by
Winston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC was a British politician known chiefly for his leadership of the United Kingdom during World War II. He served as Prime Minister from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. A noted statesman and orator, Churchill was also an officer...
and
Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin Delano Roosevelt , the only U.S. President elected to more than two terms, was a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
after their meeting on a ship in Atlantic, that after the war they intended to create a
United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
to bring peace and justice to the world. He determined that this is what he would like to do with his life and it became his principal aspiration. He then followed closely news of the establishment of
United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
in San Francisco.
He left the Merchant Marine at his father’s insistence and returned home for another year. Then, in response to a newspaper advertisement, he obtained a job as an apprentice to a manager to the far northern trading post of the Hudson’s Bay Company. There he developed a deep fondness for the Inuit people from whom he learned a great deal, including
their languageThe Inuit language is traditionally spoken across the North American Arctic and to some extent in the subarctic in Labrador. It is also spoken in far eastern Russia, particularly the Diomede Islands, but is severely endangered in Russia today and is spoken only in a few villages on the Chukchi...
. He was fascinated by their relationship with nature which had enabled them to survive and develop a distinctive culture in the harsh
ArcticThe Arctic is the region around the Earth's North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. The Arctic includes the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Greenland , Russia, the United States , Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland.The word Arctic comes from the Greek αρκτικός , "near...
climate.
During this period, too, he began to collect rock samples, guided by a correspondence course for
prospectorsProspecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which latter is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially...
. This brought him to the attention of a flamboyantly adventurous American, Bill Richardson, who had arrived on the annual supply ship to prospect in the area. He invited Strong to join him when he returned to
TorontoToronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...
where he lived with his wife, an heiress to an oil fortune.
United Nations: first links
Through the Richardsons, Strong met with a leading UN official who arranged for him, in 1947, to have a temporary low-level appointment, which enabled him to realize his dream and serve as a junior security officer at the then UN headquarters in
Lake Success, New YorkLake Success is a village in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The population was 2,797 at the 2000 census.It is in the Town of North Hempstead on northwest Long Island. Lake Success was the temporary home of the United Nations from 1946-1951, with the functions housed at the...
. This confirmed his belief that the United Nations was the place for him, but made him realize, too, that without sufficient education or political ties, he could not expect to rise up within the ranks. He decided the best course for him would be to return to
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and try to develop there the qualifications that would enable him to return to the United Nations in a more substantive role.
He did this, first obtaining a role as a trainee analyst, and then specialist in oil and mineral resources for a leading brokerage firm, James Richardson & Sons. Moving to
CalgaryCalgary is the largest city in the Province of Alberta, Canada.The Calgary census metropolitan area is the third most diverse in Canada in terms of visible minorities after Toronto and Vancouver when considering only CMAs with population greater than 200,000...
,
AlbertaAlberta is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1, 1905.Alberta is located in western Canada, bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S. state of Montana to the south....
, he became assistant to one of the most colorful and dramatically successful leaders of the oil industry J.P. Jack Gallagher. He gave Strong the opportunity of learning the business from a more operational point of view and as the company, Dome Petroleum, grew, Strong occupied several key roles, including Vice President, Finance.
Becoming an entrepreneur
Deciding that he wanted to do something on his own, he took over a very small and failing natural gas company, Ajax Petroleums, and built it into what became one of the leading companies in the industry, Norcen Resources. This attracted the attention of one of Canada’s principal investment corporations with extensive interests in the energy and utility businesses,
Power Corporation of CanadaPower Corporation of Canada is a major Canadian company with assets in North America and Europe in a number of industries. These industries include media, pulp and paper, and financial services....
. It appointed him initially as its Executive Vice President and then President of Power Corporation of Canada in 1961 through 1966. His position at Power Corporation attracted national interest which enabled his views on Canada’s role in the world to be heard.
Foreign Affairs
Serving on many corporate boards, he also continued to develop his interest in foreign affairs and make speeches about Canada’s foreign policy, which he contended should concentrate on being a friend of the developing world. This brought him to the attention of the Minister of External Affairs, Paul Martin Sr., and Prime Minister
Lester B. PearsonLester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE was a Canadian statesman, diplomat and politician who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis...
. In 1966, Pearson invited him to come into the government as a Deputy Minister with responsibility for the External Aid Office. Under Strong's leadership, the role of the office was enlarged to become the
Canadian International Development AgencyThe Canadian International Development Agency was formed in 1968 by the Canadian government. CIDA administers foreign aid programs in developing countries, and operates in partnership with other Canadian organizations in the public and private sectors as well as other international organizations...
(CIDA), the country's lead agency for international development. Strong served as President and Chairman of CIDA. This enabled him to return to the United Nations as a Canadian delegate, which enabled him to establish close ties, particularly with its Development Program.
In the meantime, his fascination with nature had evolved into an interest in conservation and the newly emerging environment movement which he saw as being closely related to development. This became increasingly clear to him as his involvement in the resources industry demonstrated how its development inflicted significant damage to the environment. It led eventually to his realization that it would only be through better and more responsible management of development that the environment could be protected.
YMCA and Africa
In 1971, with his then wife, Pauline, Strong took a trip around the world, most of which was spent in Africa where he became impressed with the work of the
YMCAThe Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide movement of more than 45 million members from 124 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs....
. On his return to Canada, he volunteered to work with the YMCA in its World Service Program, becoming its national President and Chairman of the Extension Committee of the World Alliance of YMCAs. Here he met Tracy Strong, who was the Secretary General of the World Alliance, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and a brother of
Anna Louise StrongAnna Louise Strong was a twentieth-century American journalist and activist, best known for her reporting on and support for communist movements in the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China.-Early life:...
, the American journalist whose letters from
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
had been such a source of Strong’s early interest in China. Tracy Strong confirmed that he and Strong did indeed have a distant family relationship. Strong welcomed this opportunity to develop his links with the family of Anna Louise, whose life and relationships with China were a great source of inspiration to him.
The Stockholm Conference: Only One Earth
When on the initiative of Sweden the U. N. General Assembly decided to convene the first major
United Nations Conference on the Human EnvironmentThe United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was an international conference convened under United Nations auspices held in Stockholm, Sweden from June 5-16,1972...
in Stockholm in 1972, popularly known as "Stockholm" among environmentalists, UN Secretary-General
U ThantU Thant was a Burmese diplomat and the third secretary-general of the United Nations, from 1961 to 1971. He was chosen for the post when his predecessor, Dag Hammarskjöld, died in September 1961."U" is an honorific in Burmese, roughly equal to "mister." "Thant" was his only name...
invited Strong to lead it as Secretary-General of the Conference.
As preparations for the Stockholm Conference, in 1971, Strong commissioned a report on the state of the planet. Entitled “Only One Earth: The Care and Maintenance of a Small Planet” , co-authord by
Barbara WardBarbara Mary Ward , in later life Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth, was a British economist and writer interested in the problems of developing countries. She urged Western governments to share their prosperity with the rest of the world and in the 1960s turned her attention to environmental...
and
Rene DubosRené Jules Dubos was a French-American microbiologist, experimental pathologist, environmentalist, humanist, and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction for his book So Human An Animal.
. The report summarized the findings of 152 leading experts from 58 countries in preparation for the first UN meeting on the environment, held in Stockholm in 1972. This was the world's first "state of the environment" report.
The Stockholm Conference put the environment issue on the international agenda and confirmed its close link with development. It led to the establishment by the UN General Assembly in December 1972 of the
United Nations Environment ProgrammeThe UN Environment Programme coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and encourages sustainable development through sound environmental practices...
(UNEP), with headquarters in
NairobiNairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi Province. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters"...
,
KenyaThe Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. Lying along the Indian Ocean, at the equator, Kenya is bordered by Ethiopia , Somalia , Tanzania , Uganda plus Lake Victoria , and Sudan . The capital city is Nairobi. Kenya spans an area about 85% the size of France or Texas...
, and the election of Strong to head it. UNEP was the first UN agency to be headquartered in a developing nation.
As head of UNEP, Strong convened the first international expert group meeting on climate change.
Back to Canada and Water Politics
In 1976, at the request of Prime Minister
Pierre TrudeauJoseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, PC, CC, CH, QC, MSRC , was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968, to June 4, 1979, and from March 3, 1980, to June 30, 1984.Pierre Trudeau was a charismatic figure who, from the late 1960s until the mid-1980s,...
, Strong returned to Canada to head the newly created national oil company,
Petro-CanadaPetro-Canada was a Canadian oil and gas firm. Its headquarters were in the Petro-Canada Centre in Calgary, Alberta. On August 1, 2009, Petro-Canada merged with Suncor Energy...
. He then became Chairman of the Canada Development Investment Corporation, the holding company for some of Canada’s principal government-owned corporations. Returning to private life, he acquired effective control and became Chairman of AZL Resources Inc., which had large holdings of ranch lands in the United States, including a major land development, American Water Development Incorporated (AWDI) in the San Luis Valley of
ColoradoColorado is a U.S. state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. It may also be considered to be part of the Western and Southwestern regions of the United States. Colorado entered statehood in 1876 and was nicknamed the “Centennial State”...
. This was underlain by one of the country’s largest underground water reservoirs, which, under Colorado law, others could claim if the landowners failed to develop or use it. Accordingly, Strong, along with among others
Alexander CrutchfieldAlexander Crutchfield is an American businessman, financier and investor.-Background:He was born in Tucson Arizona, a fifth generation Arizonan. He earned a BA in African History, Economics and Accounting from Claremont McKenna College as a Distinguished Scholar and recipient of the CMC Student...
instituted a program through a company, American Water Development, to develop the property on a sustainable basis and use it locally. When his partners opted for an alternative plan to export the water from the valley, Strong donated his interest to charity.
After a lengthy trial, Colorado courts ruled against AWDI's application and required payment of the objectors' legal fees, 3.1 million dollars.
The World Commission on Sustainable Development
Maurice Strong was one of the commissioners of the World Commission on Environment and Development, set up as an independent body by the United Nations in 1983. Chaired by Gro Harlem Brundtland, then Prime Minister of Norway, its brief was to re-examine the critical environmental and development problems on the planet and formulate realistic proposals to solve them. Strong played a key role in ensuring that the work of the Commission was open, visible and participatory. The Commission held Public Hearings, where senior government representatives, scientists and experts, researchers, representatives of non-governmental organizations and the general public openly expressed their concerns and submitted their views and advice on issues of common concerns. It was a new departure for the UN system.
The Earth Summit
Returning to Canada, his role in leading the UN’s famine relief program in Africa was the first in a series of UN advisory assignments, including reform and his appointment as Secretary General of the UN Conference on Environment and Development—best known as the
Earth SummitThe United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the Rio Summit, Earth Summit was a major United Nations conference held in Rio de Janeiro from June 3 to June 14, 1992.- Overview :...
-- held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. This was a landmark event attended by more heads of government than had ever met together before, as well as more media and non-governmental representatives. After intense negotiations it produced Agreement on Conventions on
Climate ChangeClimate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years. It can be a change in the average weather or a change in the distribution of weather events around an average...
and
BiodiversityBiodiversity is the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or for the entire Earth. Biodiversity is often used as a measure of the health of biological systems...
and launched a process which produced a Convention on Desertification. Also, particularly noteworthy, was the Agreement reached on a set of principles to set the world on the pathway to sustainable development and a program of action, known as
Agenda 21Agenda 21 is a programme run by the United Nations related to sustainable development. It is a comprehensive blueprint of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the UN, governments, and major groups in every area in which humans impact on the environment.-...
, as the agreed basis for cooperative action to move implement them.
Changing attitudes
After the Earth Summit, Strong continued to take a leading role in implementing the results of Rio through establishment of the Earth Council, the
Earth CharterThe Earth Charter is an international declaration of fundamental values and principles considered useful by its supporters for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century...
movement, his Chairmanship of the World Resources Institute, Membership on the Board of the
International Institute for Sustainable DevelopmentThe International Institute for Sustainable Development is the world's leading research organization in the area of sustainable development. It is an independent non-profit and non-governmental organisation focused on improving the sustainability of the world...
, the
Stockholm Environment InstituteThe Stockholm Environment Institute, or SEI, is a non-profit, independent research and policy institute specialising in sustainable development and environmental issues.- Mission :...
,
The Africa-America Institute, the Institute of Ecology in Indonesia, the Beijer Institute of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and others. Strong was a longtime Foundation Director of the
World Economic ForumThe World Economic Forum is a Geneva-based non-profit foundation best known for its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland which brings together top business leaders, international political leaders, selected intellectuals and journalists to discuss the most pressing issues facing the world...
, a Senior Advisor to the President of the World Bank, a Member of the International Advisory of Toyota Motor Corporation, the Advisory Council for the
Center for International Development of Harvard University, the
World Business Council for Sustainable DevelopmentThe World Business Council for Sustainable Development is a CEO-led, global association of some 200 international companies dealing exclusively with business and sustainable development....
, the
World Conservation UnionThe International Union for Conservation of Nature is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation.Founded in 1948, its headquarters is located in the Lake Geneva area in Gland, Switzerland...
(IUCN), the World Wildlife Fund,
Resources for the Future, and the
Eisenhower Fellowships. His public service activities were carried out on a pro bono basis made possible by his business activities, which included Chairman of the International Advisory Group of
CH2M Hill, Strovest Holdings Inc., Technology Development Inc., Zenon Environmental Inc., and most recently,
Cosmos International, and the China Carbon Corporation.
From December 1992 through 1995, Strong served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ontario Hydro, then North America’s largest electric power utility. During this period, the company made the transition from the largest loss in its history and rising rates to its largest ever profit which allowed lower rates to be established and major programs for efficiency and sustainability to be undertaken.
Strong played a major role in changing the attitude of the
World BankThe World Bank is an international financial institution that provides leveraged loans to poorer countries for capital programs, tied to neoliberal market restructurings...
to non-governmental organizations. He lobbied to transform the World Bank from an enemy to recognizing the importance of environmental groups.
Peace envoy
In 1999, at the request of then UN Secretary-General,
Javier Pérez de CuéllarJavier Pérez de Cuéllar y de la Guerra is a Peruvian diplomat who served as the fifth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1 1982 to December 31 1991. He studied in Colegio San Agustín of Lima, and then at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. In 1995, he ran unsuccessfully...
, he took on the task of trying to restore the viability of the
University for PeaceThe University for Peace was established in Costa Rica in 1980 "to provide humanity with an international institution of higher education for peace and with the aim of promoting among all human beings the spirit of understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence."At present, the UPEACE Costa...
, headquartered in
Costa RicaCosta Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east.Costa Rica, which translates literally as "Rich Coast", constitutionally...
, which was established under the authorization of the UN General Assembly, although not a UN organization as such.. The UN’s reputation was at risk as the organization had been subjected to severe mismanagement, misappropriation of funds and inoperative governance. As Chairman of its governing body, the Council, and initially as Rector, Strong led the process of revitalizing the University for Peace and helped to rebuild its programs and leadership. He retired from the Council in the spring of 2007.
Failed business activities
Strong’s business activities which were always designed to support his public service interests were not always successful. Two companies, with which he was associated, Molten Metals Technology Inc and Cordex Petroleum ended in bankruptcy. Strong and his family were major losers in both of these, but their losses have been more than balanced by the success of most of the businesses with which he has been associated.
Links with North Korea and China
From 2003 and 2005, Strong served as the personal envoy UN Secretary-General
Kofi AnnanKofi Atta Annan, Honorary GCMG is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1 January 1997 to 1 January 2007. Annan and the United Nations were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize.-Early years and family:Kofi Annan was born in the...
to lead support for the international response to the humanitarian and development needs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (
North KoreaNorth Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , is a state in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer area between North Korea and South Korea...
). As an essential contribution to the prospects for a peaceful settlement of the long-standing conflict on the Korean Peninsular.
Strong, from his earliest days had a deep interest in and fascination for
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
and has been going to China for more than 40 years in various capacities: personal, United Nations, World Bank and business. He now spends most of his time there and is active as an advisor and has business relationships in the environment, energy, and technology sectors. His principal activities are centered at
Peking UniversityPeking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China. It is the first formally established modern research university in and the first national university of China. It was founded as Imperial Capital University in 1898 as a...
, where he is an active Honorary Professor, as well as Honorary Chairman of its Environmental Foundation and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Research on Security and Sustainability for Northeast Asia, following up on his experience with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
UN Secretary General's tribute
Secretary-General
Kofi AnnanKofi Atta Annan, Honorary GCMG is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1 January 1997 to 1 January 2007. Annan and the United Nations were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize.-Early years and family:Kofi Annan was born in the...
, near the end of his term, paid the following tribute to Maurice Strong:
Honors and Awards
Maurice Strong has received a number of honors, awards and medals.
He has also received 53 honorary doctorate degrees and honorary Visiting Professorships at 7 universities.
Among the honors and awards:
- 2003: Public Welfare Medal from the US National Academy of Sciences: First Non-US Citizen to receive the medal Retrieved on December 27, 2007
- 2002: Carriage House Center on Global Issues: Candlelight Award Retrieved on December 27, 2007
- 1999: Companion of the Order of Canada Retrieved on December 27, 2007
- 1996: Swedish Royal Order of the Polar Star
The Order of the Polar Star is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim....
Retrieved on December 27, 2007
- 1995: IKEA Environmental Award Retrieved on December 27, 2007
- 1994: Asahi Glass Foundation Award: Blue Planet Prize Retrieved on December 27, 2007
- 1994: Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding Retrieved on December 27, 2007
- 1993: International St. Frances Prize for the Environment
- 1993: Alexander Onassis Delphi Prize Retrieved on December 27, 2007
- 1997: Henri Pittier Order of Venezuela
- 1989: Pearson Peace Medal Pearson Medal of Peace
The Pearson Medal of Peace is an award given out annually by the United Nations Association in Canada to recognize an individual Canadian's "contribution to international service". Nominations are made by any Canadian for any Canadian, excluding self-nominations. The award is named in honour of...
Recipients Retrieved on December 27, 2007
- 1975: National Audubon Society Award Retrieved on December 27, 2007
- 1981: Charles A. Lindbergh Award Retrieved on December 27, 2007
- 1974: Tyler Evironmental Prize Retrieved on December 27, 2007
Other honors and awards include:
Multimedia
Quotes
Articles, Lectures and Publications
- Maurice Strong, Conference on the Human Environment Founex Switzerland June 4-12 1971 The first meeting and report to highlight environmental concerns for developing countries. Retrieved on January 06, 2008
- Statement to the First Plenary Session of the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment Retrieved on January 05, 2008
- The African Famine Retrieved on January 05, 2008
- Lecture by Maurice Strong at York University, Toronto Retrieved on January 05, 2008
- Fostering investment in sustainable development Retrieved on December 08, 2007
- The Way Ahead for UNEPJanuary 05, 2008
- The Earth as we know it has less than 30 years to survive if we continue our destructive course Retrieved on January 05, 2008
- Remarks by Maurice Strong at the National Academy of Sciences Awards Ceremony, Washington, DC, April 19th 2004 Retrieved on January 05, 2008
- Maurice Strong, The Castel Gandolfo report on renewable energy: Policies and options.North South Roundtable.January 1981.ASIN: B0006XXXJ6. Retrieved on January 05, 2008
- Notes From a Lecture By Maurice F. Strong at York University September 28, 2001 Retrieved on January 05, 2008
Other
- Press conference UNEP Programme on Religion and Ecology Retrieved on December 29, 2007
- United Nations University for Peace Retrieved on December 29, 2007
- Business Spirit Journal Online Retrieved on December 30, 2007
- International Agency for Economic Development Retrieved on December 30, 2007
- United Nations University Inter-Linkages Initiative Retrieved on December 30, 2007
- Global Change & Human Health Retrieved on December 31, 2007
- Key Environmental Strategy: Strengthen the UN Retrieved on December 30, 2007
- Author Spotlight Retrieved on December 31, 2007
- Fighting for China: Man on a mission Retrieved on December 31, 2007
- Corporate Knights Retrieved on December 31, 2007
- American Scientist online Retrieved on December 31, 2007
- George Negus."Interview with Maurice Strong & Dr. Clovis Maksoud"."Foreigh Correspondent".ABC TV, July 15, 1997 Retrieved on December 31, 2007
- Michael Stoll."Maurice Strong: Our Man in Rio and San Francisco, too".Commentary.E Magazine Retrieved on December 31, 2007