14. Jan 2011

Paris joins ICORN

Mayor of Paris, Mr. Bertrand Delanoë, and ICORN Chair of Board, Peter Ripken. Photography: A.Thomes. Mairie de Paris.
Mayor of Paris, Mr. Bertrand Delanoë, and ICORN Chair of Board, Peter Ripken. Photography: A.Thomes. Mairie de Paris.

The City of Paris became a member of ICORN Wednesday 12 January. The Mayor of Paris, Mr. Bertrand Delanoë, and ICORN Chair of Board, Peter Ripken, signed the agreement between the City of Paris and ICORN during an official ceremony at the City Hall.

During an official ceremony at the City Hall of Paris Wednesday 12 January at 11:30, the Mayor of Paris, Mr. Bertrand Delanoë, and Chair of the ICORN board, Peter Ripken, signed the agreement between the City of Paris and ICORN, officially declaring Paris a City of Refuge to persecuted writers.

"This is a great breaktrough", said ICORN director Helge Lunde, "Paris is the global metropole of exile for decades, if not centuries, and Paris entering ICORN will hopefully also pave the way for other French cities to join the expanding ICORN organisation".

ICORN director Helge Lunde also attended the ceremony, along representatives from leading French human rights and literary organisations, and ICORN Council of Writers and Experts (ICWE) member the distinguished writer Amin Maalouf.