Angela Merkel Wins UNESCO Peace Prize
The Jury of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny-UNESCO Peace Prize has awarded the 2022 Prize to Ms Angela Merkel, former Federal Chancellor of Germany, in recognition of her efforts to welcome refugees.
All the members of the jury considered her courageous decision in 2015 to welcome more than 1.2 million refugees, particularly from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Eritrea. “This is the legacy she leaves,” said Denis Mukwege, President of the Jury, gynecologist, Nobel Peace Prize Winner.
The Jury also awarded an honourable mention to Julienne Lusenge for her commitment to the women who were victims of sexual violence. Known for her work in North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, she denounced the use of rape as a “weapon of war” and is a defender of women’s rights.
Created in 1989, the Félix Houphouët-Boigny-UNESCO Peace Prize is an annual prize that honours an individual, an institution, or a private or public body which has significantly contributed to the promotion, research, safeguarding or maintenance of peace, in accordance with the United Nations Charter and the Constitution of UNESCO.
World-renowned figures have received it, including Nelson Mandela, Frederik W. De Klerk, and Jimmy Carter, who was awarded the prize for his work in the field of education.
