Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan Totally Explained

Everything about Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan totally explained

Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, KBE () (January 17, 1933 – May 12, 2003) served as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 1966 to 1978, during which he reoriented the agency's focus beyond Europe and prepared it for an explosion of complex refugee issues. He was also a proponent of greater collaboration between non-governmental organizations and UN agencies. The Prince's interest in ecological issues led him to establish the Bellerive Foundation in the late 1970s, and he was a knowledgeable and respected collector of Islamic art.
Born in Paris, France, he was the son of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan and Princess Andrée Aga Khan. He married twice, but had no children of his own. Prince Sadruddin died of cancer at the age of 70, and was buried in Switzerland.

Life and career

Childhood and education

Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, he was the only child of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan III and his second wife, the former Andrée Joséphine Carron. He received his early education in Lausanne, Switzerland, before graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1954 from Harvard College. After three years of post-graduate research at the Harvard Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Prince Sadruddin began a lifelong career of international service. When he was a child, his paternal grandmother used to recite to him the great epic poems of Persian history. He would later describe it as "one of UNESCO's great achievements" because of the challenging historical context in which it took place — in particular the ongoing tensions in the Middle East and the Cold War. The initiative became known for its Stamp Plan, a philatelic programme that raised funds through United Nations member countries, as well as the support of the Universal Postal Union. At the time, the UNHCR's resources were primarily focused on supporting refugees crossing from Eastern Europe. As the scale and complexity of refugee issues continued to increase, the UNHCR and the international community at large was better positioned to adapt. He continued to serve in various capacities dealing with humanitarian situations on behalf of the UN.

United Nations diplomatic career

Prince Sadruddin had, since 1978, been variously: Special Consultant and Chargé de Mission to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Special Rapporteur of the UN Human Rights Commission and Convenor and Co-Chairman of the Independent Commission on International Humanitarian Issues and of the Independent Working Group on the UN Financial Emergency. He was later Coordinator for United Nations Humanitarian and Economic Assistance Programmes Relating to the People of Afghanistan and Executive Delegate of the Secretary-General for a United Nations Inter-Agency Humanitarian Programme, which dealt with problems of Iraq’s border areas.
His appointment in September 1990 as Personal Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Humanitarian Assistance Relating to the Crisis between Iraq and Kuwait required diplomatic finesse. Iraq's President Saddam Hussein was deeply suspicious of the UN, and was loathe to do anything that would benefit the country's Shia Muslims. Despite this, Prince Sadruddin was able to successfully negotiate with Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz for the establishment of a UN relief program for tens of thousands of Shia Muslims trapped in worsening conditions in the marshlands of southern Iraq. It found inspiration in the system of national parks of the Canadian Rockies.
In May, 2006, the activities of the Bellerive Foundation were merged into the Geneva-based Aga Khan Foundation (founded in 1967 by Prince Sadruddin's nephew Karim Aga Khan IV) to form the Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan Fund for the Environment.

Death and remembrance

Prince Sadruddin died of cancer in Boston, Massachusetts on May 12, 2003, Ruud Lubbers, then UNHCR High Commissioner, expressed the sadness of the UNHCR and the entire humantitarian community, commenting that "he left an indelible print on UNHCR's history — leading the agency through some of the most challenging moments. Sadruddin's name became synonymous with UNHCR." A tribute from the Canton of Geneva read: "The destiny of this family of high Persian nobility, descended from the Prophet Muhammad, is inextricably linked to that of this small European town and to an ambitious project to improve the human condition." Then United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan commented that "he combined respect for humankind with concern for our environment. He worked on behalf of the poor and dispossessed, while celebrating humanity through culture and art." He was keenly aware of his family's important Muslim lineage and the legacy of Persian nobility that he carried in his blood. These rich traditions intermingled and manifested themselves in his career and personal pursuits.
   International service was a family tradition, and throughout his life Prince Sadruddin was surrounded by it. His father held influential roles in British India and was instrumental in the formation of Pakistan. He also served two terms as President of the League of Nations. Meanwhile, Prince Sadruddin's niece Princess Yasmin, has devoted herself to the fight against Alzheimer's disease.
   Prince Sadruddin had a taste for culture, including music, art and literature. He was a familiar figure at music festivals and other cultural events, both in Europe and overseas. His concern for the environment was complimented by his enjoyment of the outdoors; he was a keen skier and an accomplished sailor. which was established with the aim of bringing original creative work to the fore. Every year the Review awards the Aga Khan Prize for Fiction (established by his father They had no children and divorced in 1962.
   His second marriage took place in November 1972, in the British West Indies. He married Catherine Aleya Beriketti Sursock who was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1938. She was formerly the wife of Cyril Sursock. She and Prince Sadruddin had no children, but from this marriage he gained three stepchildren: Alexandre, Marc, and Nicholas Sursock.

Art collection

During his lifetime Prince Sadruddin assembled one of the finest private collections of Islamic art in the world. He became a knowledgeable and respected collector, accumulating a priceless collection of paintings, drawings, manuscripts and miniatures over 50 years. He had also gathered a collection of primitive and African art which he sold sometime prior to 1985. which was organized by the British Museum in 1998. Bourgeois d’Honneur de Geneve, Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur (France), a recipient of the Pontifical Order of St. Sylvestre (Holy See) and the Order of the Star of the Nile (Egypt), and named Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his services to humanitarian causes and the arts.Further Information

Get more info on 'Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan'.

External Link Exchanges

Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:

<a href="http://prince_sadruddin_aga_khan.totallyexplained.com">Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan Totally Explained</a>

Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned.