«Jorge Sampaio’s extraordinary legacy and leadership by example will remain an inspiration for the United Nations in the promotion of a culture of peace, justice and human development, a spirit of tolerance and respect for all», said the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Santos Silva at the tribute in of Jorge Sampaio organized by the United Nations in New York.

The Minister also said that former Portuguese President Sampaio «contributed to various of the main challenges that the international community currently faces: the fight against pandemics like tuberculosis, the promotion of a public health approach to the world drug problem, the advancement of intercultural and interreligious dialogue, and the protection of human rights, including the right to education».

Santos Silva said that «Jorge Sampaio’s global engagement was underpinned by his detailed knowledge of international affairs and his sophisticated political skills that allowed him to navigate the complexity of world politics». 

«His work was streamlined by the following four key elements»: «a strong human rights-based approach», «the need to improve collaborative problem-solving», «promoting evidence-based change in policy framework and strategies» and «using dialogue and critical thinking to enhance trust and understanding among people», he said.

International appointments

The Minister recalled that in May 2006, Jorge Sampaio was appointed by Kofi Annan as the first UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to Stop Tuberculosis, working until 2012 with the World Health Organization and the Stop Tuberculosis Partnership in order to implement the Global Plan to Stop Tuberculosis 2006-2015 «that set out actions required to treat and cure 50 million tuberculosis patients and to save 14 million lives».

In April 2007, Ban Ki-moon appointed Jorge Sampaio as the first UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations. «The UN Secretary-General used then to say that Jorge Sampaio was the only one within the UN system to hold two different positions», the Minister said. 

As the UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations from 2007 to 2013, Jorge Sampaio «promoted cultural diversity across the globe as a key driver for peace, prosperity and social cohesion».

Education and drug policy

From 2012 onwards, Jorge Sampaio «focused his efforts on two main areas of the global agenda which remained close to his heart along his life: higher education and drug policy». In 2012, he joined the Global Commission on Drug Policy «and participated actively in advocacy actions to promote health-based approaches to drug use worldwide».

In 2013, President Sampaio launched the Global Platform for Syrian Students, a multi-stakeholder initiative aimed at providing emergency scholarships to Syrian students that would allow them to resume their university studies. 

Santos Silva said that «recently the Global Platform for Syrian Students expanded its scope and enlarged the field of action in order to become a true catalyst for higher education in emergencies».