NEW YEAR’S RECEPTION OF THE FEDERAL PRESIDENT
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier received the Diplomatic Corps at Bellevue Palace
On 12 January 2023, the Federal President invited the Diplomatic Corps in Berlin to a New Year’s reception. After Frank- Walter Steinmeier had received the ambassadors’ wishes for the New Year 2023 and in turn wished the Diplomatic Corps a Happy New Year, the Federal President gave a speech in which he recalled the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations 50 years ago.
Nuncio and Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps H.E. Archbishop Dr. Nicola Eterović was the first speaker, afterwards Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier addressed the ambassadors
“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should meet one another in a spirit of brotherhood,” Frank- Walter Steinmeier quoted from the Declaration and emphasised the universality of human rights: “They do not distinguish between north and south, east and west, they are not foreign to any culture or religion. This is proven by the origins of the Universal Declaration. The committee that drafted its thirty articles back in 1948 included, for example, the Chilean Hernán Santa; a Confucian scholar from China, an Indian woman, Hansa Mahta, and a Greek Orthodox Christian were also part of the efforts. They all contributed something. Indian scholars saw Hindu ideals of freedom reflected in the Declaration; a Muslim intellectual believed that it embodied the prohibition on discrimination from the early days of Islam. They could all identify with the values of the text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Because these apply to all people, regardless of which continent they live on.
The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain H.E. Ricardo Martínez Vázquez and the Federal President during the welcoming ceremony
The Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
I.E. Jill Gallard and the Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier ceremony
The Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya H.E. Thomas Boniface Amolo and the Federal President
The Ambassador of Romania I.E. Adriana-Loreta Stănescu and the Federal President during the welcoming ceremony
Freedom
The desire for freedom is part of human nature, the Federal President said. “People want to be free. And from that they draw strength.” Frank-Walter Steinmeier recalled the courageous resistance of Ukrainians. “The longing for freedom brought brave people onto the streets and into the squares even in the face of the gravest threats from their dictatorial regimes.” The desire for democracy and justice are powerful driving forces that should not be underestimated, he said. The fact that Ukrainians are fighting for self-determination and human dignity impresses him, he said. “And that impresses the whole world.”
Enemies of democracy
Steinmeier told of his trip to Brazil and his participation in the inauguration of President Lula da Silva, whose democratic election was challenged a few days later by opponents who stormed the seat of government. The President strongly condemned this “attack on democracy itself”. “And I am pleased to see how swiftly the international community gathered behind the democratically elected President of Brazil and the country’s democratic institutions. Democrats must stand together around the world!”
The “World as Guest” at Bellevue Palace. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier with ambassadors
Common goals
In Brazil, he said, he was also able to see the state of the tropical rainforest, the “lungs of the planet” that guarantee the survival of all humanity. According to Frank-Walter Steinmeier, climate change shows “that we are obliged to work together, that we are interconnected and that we must therefore unite”. He said he was encouraged by the fact that two hundred states were able to gather behind an agreement to stop worldwide species loss and the worldwide destruction of ecosystems. This too shows that cooperation for the benefit of all is not just essential, it is also possible.” The Federal President concluded his speech with the appeal: “Let us make 2023, the anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a year of freedom, cooperation and optimism.“
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier with some of his guests at the New Year’s reception
