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The UNESCO Director-General, Ms Irina Bokova, paid tribute to Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, and author of a unique body of work on the memory of the Holocaust. "Elie Wiesel was a pillar of the conscience of humanity, a moral compass for human rights, human dignity, human strength," said Irina Bokova. "Through his work, he put words on the unspeakable, to awaken all minds to the horror of the Holocaust. His legacy is unparalleled and his message is more relevant than ever to fight against antisemitism in all its forms. We all owe him an immense debt, and this is our duty to take forward." "Elie Wiesel was a great friend and champion of UNESCO, presiding the Universal Academy of Cultures, founded by Federico Mayor. His thinking informed the work of the Organisation across many years, as he embodied UNESCO's mission to 'build the defences of peace in the minds of women and men."