His Excellency Valdas Adamkus, President of Lithuania, was designated UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for the Construction of Knowledge Societies on 29 September 2003 in recognition of his contribution to social development, inter-university cooperation, water resource management, environmental and heritage protection, and with a view to benefiting from his wisdom and extensive experience in many of UNESCO’s areas of concern for the construction of knowledge societies.

H.E. Valdas Adamkus was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Vilnius University in 1989. He was likewise awarded Honorary Doctorates by universities in Indiana and Illinois (USA) for his contribution to the cleaning of the Great Lakes and for other environmental projects.

In 1988 H.E. Valdas Adamkus received an international environmental award for outstanding achievements in the international arena. H.E. Valdas Adamkus has himself established an award conferred each year on Lithuania’s noted environmental specialists and scholars. He has also been granted the US Environmental Protection Agency gold medal for achievements in service and the award of the US President for outstanding service.

In May 2005, H.E. Valdas Adamkus participated in the “World Conference on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for Capacity-Building: Critical Success Factors” at UNESCO Headquarters.