Michaëlle Jean, the UNESCO Special Envoy, this Sunday, flew to the Republic of South Africa to celebrate the memory of President Nelson Mandela, tireless defender of rights and freedoms.

At the invitation of Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, Ms. Jean will join the Canadian delegation to participate with leaders and dignitaries from around the world in remembrance ceremonies honoring the life and legacy of former South African president.

"Nelson Mandela is no longer with us, but his legacy, everything he has done with courage and conviction, will always remain a source of inspiration for all those who struggle against injustice, oppression and racism," declared Ms. Jean "He showed us by his example, that every action counts, and it is our individual and collective responsibility to raise awareness, to relentlessly pursue the long march towards a better world."

After these ceremonies, Michaëlle Jean will travel to Haiti to meet with government officials and the many partners of civil society on the projects that she supports as Special Envoy of UNESCO.

She will go, among others, to meet many organizations of Haitian women who are mobilizing to make their demands heard and their reflections on the future of the country. She will also meet with women, who are still living in the last IDP camps waiting to be relocated.

"It is true that great efforts were made to relocate the hundreds of thousands of people. But it is necessary not to forget these last escapees [172,000 people in 300 sites as of September 2013], waiting to find a home," Madame Jean said "Women are particularly vulnerable because they live in difficult conditions and are exposed to violence."

The Special Envoy of UNESCO is also working closely with the working group on the development of a new line of value-added plants or medicinal plants. This group was formed during his last mission in September 2013. Haiti hope, in a sustainable development perspective, break

on this world market and meet the growing demands nutraceutical, cosmetic and biopharmaceutical, an industry that offers attractive economic opportunities attractive for small farmers and rural communities across the country.

HL/ HaitiLibre