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Nov. 11, 2008

Toray Receives 2008 Humanitarian Award from the United Nations Association of New York for its Environment-Friendly Business and CSR Activities
Along with Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Ragnar Grímsson, President of Iceland

Dr. Peter Rajsingh (New York University professor), President of United Nations Association - New York presenting the award to Toray President Sadayuki Sakakibara

©2008 Michael Dames

Toray Industries, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as “Toray”) announced today that it received the 2008 Humanitarian Award from the United Nations Association of New York (hereinafter referred to as “UNA-NY”) in recognition of its environmentally friendly business activities including its involvement in such areas as, seawater desalination, water treatment and carbon fiber composite materials businesses as well as for its CSR activities targeting climate change prevention and sustainable social growth, energy saving measures and betterment of workplace.

The award ceremony was held along with UNA-NY Annual Humanitarian Awards Gala Dinner on October 23, Thursday at the United Nations headquarters (New York State, the U.S.). Toray was represented by its President, CEO and COO, Sadayuki Sakakibara and the award was presented on behalf of the UNA-NY by its President Dr. Peter Rajsingh.

This award will act as further encouragement for Toray, and the company is determined to continue with its active efforts in environmental protection and solving water problems on a global basis through various environmentally friendly business activities.

Mr. Sakakibara delivering his acceptance speech

©2008 Michael Dames

President Sakakibara with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who was also an award recipient

©2008 Michael Dames

United Nations Association of New York - Humanitarian Award

UNA-NY established the Humanitarian Award in 1996 to honor United Nations-related personnel for their services. Since 2005, UNA-NY has been selecting one Millennium Development Goal (of the eight 21st Century goals adopted at the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000 that the international society has to achieve by 2015) each year as the theme for the award and the scope of the award was also expanded to include businesses, individuals and organizations, in addition to U.N.-associated personnel, who make significant contributions in the given field.

The award presentation ceremony has been held every year around the United Nations Day of October 24 at the Annual Humanitarian Awards Gala Dinner hosted by UNA-NY.

Background for winning the award

The 2008 Humanitarian Award was themed around Climate Change - A Call for Action, which is based on the seventh of the Millennium Development Goals, Ensure environmental sustainability. The scope of the award covered overall efforts combating environmental issues and the other recipients this year were Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Mr. Olafur Ragnar Grímsson, President of Iceland.
The winners of the award in the past include UNICEF and GE Foundation and the award presentation every year is attended by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, in a message, said that the Japanese government welcomed Toray’s winning the award.

Toray is committed towards fulfilling the role expected of it by the society, striving for the development of a recycle-oriented society that enables sustainable growth by exploiting cutting-edge technology and backed by the “power of chemistry” to solve difficult issues caused by changes in environment and climate. Toray will contribute to finding solutions for pressing global environmental issues through innovation in technologies related to securing of water and other natural resources, energy saving as well as development of advanced materials and products.

The United Nations Association

The United Nations Association is an NGO of a global scale established with the aim of supporting the activities of the United Nations as an external organization. Its administrative board boasts of former UN ambassadors and ambassadors from different countries as well as eminent personalities from the diplomatic, economic, academic and other fields. Its activities involve providing financial and physical support to UN efforts in the academic, health, medical and environmental areas, educational and advocacy programs based on international issues, and holding of annual parties for raising funds to support continuous actions. The New York office, being located in New York where the UN headquarters is also located, is the largest one in the United Nations Association’s organization.


The following is the list of winners of UNA-NY Humanitarian Awards over the years.

Year Theme Winner and Grounds for the Award
1996   Carol Bellamy (UNICEF Executive Director)
  • For contributions to UN principles and to the world’s children
1997   UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Mrs. Nane Annan
  • For advocacy programs of United Nations
1998   Olara A. Otunnu (UN Under Secretary General, Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict)
  • For contributions as UN Under Secretary General
1999   Sergio Vieira de Mello (UN diplomat from Brazil)
  • For humanitarian activities around the world
2000   Giandomenico Pico (UN Under Secretary General)
  • For contributions over the years to the UN
2001   Harry Belafonte (singer)
  • For work as a UN goodwill ambassador

Sir Brian Urquhart (former intelligence officer in the British Army)
  • After contributing to the setting up of the UN, he held the post of Under Secretary General. Award presented for his long service to the UN.
2002   Shashi Tharoor (UN Under Secretary General from India)
  • For his UN service
2003   Gillian Sorensen (UN Assistant Secretary General)
  • For her service to the UN
2004   Mary Robinson (UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, first female President of Ireland)
  • For service as an international politician and humanitarian
2005 Health The Links Incorporated
  • For healthcare philanthropy

Leah Kebede (Ethiopian super model, face of Revlon)
  • For service as UN goodwill ambassador

International Federation of Health Plans
  • For its international service
2006 Education Robert Corcoran (President of GE Foundation)
  • For GE Foundations services

Anne M. Veneman (UNICEF Executive Director)
  • For her services as UNICEF Executive Director
2007 Water resources issues Unilever
  • For its environment-conscious management model and water decontamination efforts

Guy Laliberte (founder of Cirque du Soleil)
  • For setting up One Drop Foundation, an independent organization that uses a portion of the profits from the circus show to provide financial assistance for tackling global water issues.

International Service Division of the Rotary Club International and its founder Wilfrid J. Wilkinson (president of Rotary International)
  • For its global initiative on the theme of water resources issues
2008 Climate change Ban Ki Moon (UN Secretary General)

Olafur Ragnar Grímsson (President of Iceland)

Toray Industries, Inc.
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