Cohn is the only film producer to be awarded six Oscars, among them for The Garden of the Finzi-Contini, about two Jewish families in Italy who cannot accept their common destiny, and One Day in September, dealing with the terror attack on Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympic Games.
Cohn received the yearly UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) award “in recognition of his outstanding and meritorious achievement as a film producer,” as noted in the statement by UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura.
Past recipients of the award include Jordan’s Queen Noor, former German Chancellor Dr. Helmut Kohl and Sir Peter Ustinov. The 2004 award was given to the Dalai Lama. Two hundred and sixty journalists and 34 television crews covered the evening, hailed by USA Today as “one of the ten most important events of the year.”
The award was presented in Dusseldorf, Germany as part of UNESCO's annual benefit for its Children in Need program. Some 1,400 dignitaries from across the globe attended. Presenting the award was actor Jeremy Irons, who stressed the humanity of Cohn’s productions. Following the ceremony, pop star Shakira played a concert.
In his acceptance speech, Cohn urged UNESCO, the body within the United Nations responsible for the welfare of children, to continue to raise the educational level of the world’s children:
”We must endorse all projects that may raise and fortify the level of education of the children all over the world. Simultaneously, we must do everything to consistently and imperturbably eliminate schoolbooks, TV programs and teaching methods that are preaching hatred and train for terror.”
After a round of applause, Cohn continued:
“We must not forget that the intimidating phenomenon of suicide bombers, who effectively are genocide terrorists, has its roots in Israel and, meanwhile, has brought lots of mischief and mourning into the whole world, from the USA and England to Indonesia and Iraq and, now, Jordan. This phenomenon has been bred in the schools of the Palestinian Authority. In these schools, the children are educated from the youngest age to celebrate terrorists as heroic martyrs and to emulate them. UNESCO must make it its challenge to see that only positive human values are taught in the initiatives it supports.”
Cohn’s speech was praised as “a very significant and admirably honest statement” by the Chairman of the Confederation of German Jewish Communities, Paul Spiegel. Others commented that Cohn's speech clearly indicated the important task of UNESCO in regard to education in schools in the Palestinian Authority.