Matthew Nimetz (Balliol 1960) has received the first Dispute Settlement Award established by the Government of North Macedonia at the Prespa Dialogue Forum, in recognition of his dedication as Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for over 20 years.
The Prespa Forum Dialogue (PFD) is a platform created by North Macedonia to enable countries, leaders, organisations, experts and citizens to strengthen cooperation. The Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, announced the establishment of the annual Dispute Settlement Award at the PFD’s first conference, held on 1–2 July 2021.
In giving the first award to Matthew Nimetz, the PFD recognised his successful mediation of the long-standing dispute between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, which was solved in 2018 with the signing of the Prespa Agreement.
Mr Nimetz served as a mediator of the dispute both for President Bill Clinton during 1994–95 and later for three United Nations Secretaries-General from 1999 to 2019 — he has described himself as the longest-lasting mediator in the history of the United Nations. Accepting the award, he paid tribute to the officials and diplomats from Greece, North Macedonia, the United Nations and friendly countries who worked with him, whose contributions made the resolution of the dispute possible. He also acknowledged that the active encouragement and support of the European Commission for a solution, as well as the constructive diplomacy of the United States and several European states, were important components of the process.
Most importantly, he said, ‘the Prespa Agreement demonstrates what is possible when national leaders exhibit positive and creative thinking and extend themselves to a neighbor with a willingness to solve a difficult and politically charged difference between them.’
You can read an interview with Matt Nimetz by Grace Joel (Balliol 2016) in Floreat Domus 2019.