UN Chief Honors Mandela’s Legacy & Celebrates 2025 Laureates on Nelson Mandela Day | United Nations

The United Nations marked Nelson Mandela International Day with a call to carry forward the late South African leader’s commitment to justice, dignity, and peace. “Madiba’s extraordinary life was a triumph of the human spirit,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “He endured the brutal w Madiba’s extraordinary life was a triumph of the human spirit. He endured the brutal weight of oppression, and emerged not with a vision of vengeance and division — but of reconciliation, peace and unity.” Speaking at the General Assembly today (Jul 18), Guterres underscored that Mandela’s “legacy is now our responsibility.” He added, “One of the central lessons of Mandela’s life was that power is not a personal possession, to be hoarded. Power is about lifting others up. It is about what we can achieve with one another, and for one another. Power is about people.” The General Assembly President, Philemon Yang, opened the commemorative event by honoring Mandela’s courage and his “lifelong commitment to unity across Africa.” He said, “Madiba embodied the values of peace, equality, human rights, and service to others. He reminded us that freedom is meaningless without justice. That justice is the bedrock of peace.” South Africa’s former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, echoed that message, saying Mandela had “an enduring appreciation for the bold role the United Nations played in advancing South Africa's liberation struggle.” She noted that the UN “stood against apartheid domination, not through arms, but through bringing its undeniable moral weight into combat against injustice. That boldness, that courage, is needed more and more today.” This year’s event also celebrated the 2025 laureates of the UN Nelson Mandela Prize: Brenda Reynolds of Canada and Kennedy Odede of Kenya. Reynolds, a Saulteaux member from Fishing Lake First Nation and a social worker, was recognized for transforming personal trauma into national advocacy. “She turned her struggle against the most hideous of crimes against children into a national force for change,” Guterres said, praising her work to support survivors of Canada’s residential school system. Reynolds said, “When I first found out that I was one of the two laureates for this year's Nelson Mandela awards, I was speechless and couldn't believe that I was selected. And even though I speak two languages, I still cannot find the words to express the depth of my gratitude and the humility I have to accept the United Nations Nelson Mandela prize. And happy birthday to him in the heavens today, because now he is one of our ancestors.” Odede, a longtime community activist raised in Nairobi’s Kibera slum, was honored for his work uniting grassroots groups to provide education, water, and essential services to more than 2.4 million people across Kenya. He reflected on Mandela’s resilience, quoting the poem Invictus: “’I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.’” Odede also said, “These words reminded him that even in captivity, his soul remained free. Mandela understood that poetry - and the act of turning within - possess great power. He observed that poetry bears witness to injustice, and in doing inner work, Mandela cultivated what he called "a flower in a graveyard." For him, Invictus became that flower - an affirmation of unbreakable human dignity.” Both laureates, Guterres noted, embody Mandela’s own words, which are engraved on the prize: “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others.”


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