António Guterres (UN Secretary-General) on Nelson…

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. 

Today, Madiba's legacy is now our responsibility. 

We must carry forward his commitment to peace, justice and human dignity. 

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. 

In every facet of his life, Nelson Mandela demonstrated the power of collective, grassroots action to drive change and progress, and deliver power to the powerless. 

This same spirit can be found in today's winners of the Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize. 

Ms. Brenda Reynolds is a Saulteaux member from Fishing Lake First Nation in Canada. 

She is a social worker, who turned her struggle against the most hideous of crimes against children into a national force for change, supporting and developing trauma responses for survivors and families of the residential schools system. 

Mr. Kennedy Odede grew up in the Kibera slum in Kenya.

A long-time community activist, the organization he founded unites community groups from across the country and now reaches more than 2.4 million people each year with essential services — everything from education to water. 

Both prize winners embody Nelson Mandela's words, which are engraved on their Prizes: 

"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." 

On behalf of the United Nations, I congratulate Ms. Reynolds and Mr. Odede on this well-deserved recognition. 

Excellencies,

As the United Nations celebrates its 80th anniversary, Nelson Mandela's legacy of reconciliation and transformation continues to inspire and drive us. 

Around the world, human rights and dignity are under threat — not only from conflict and instability, but from systematic inequalities, exclusion, climate disasters, and the rollback of hard-won freedoms. 

Now is the time to renew our global commitment to the principles that define our organization — and indeed, the extraordinary life of Nelson Mandela. 

Freedom. Justice. Equal rights. Solidarity. Reconciliation. Peace. 

Today, and every day, let's continue following the path and principles set by Nelson Mandela's life of service and progress. 

Thank you".