Yamoussoukro/ Ivory Coast, Feb. 9 (BNA): Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel was awarded the UNESCO Peace Prize on Wednesday for her decision to welcome more than 1.2 million migrants to Germany despite resistance at home and among European partners.
Organizers said Merkel showed political courage when Germany welcomed refugees in 2015-2016 who fled conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Eritrea, the Associated Press reported.
Denis Mukwege, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and chair of the jury that will award the prize, praised Merkel for opening the doors of Germany “at a time when so many other countries are shrouded in fear”.
“You have shown public opinion and decision-makers that we not only have to defend our rights, but the rights of others in times of crisis, and that every society needs more than ever before to respect and protect human rights without any form of discrimination.” He said.
He added, “We commend your humanity, your spirit of solidarity, your keen sense of morals, and your inspiring leadership.”
The 68-year-old centre-right politician, who led Germany for 16 years, has kept a relatively low profile since handing over to his successor Olaf Scholz in December 2021.
Among a few other appearances, the physicist once accepted an award from the United Nations refugee agency and gave a speech honoring the former president of a national scientific academy in which she mentioned gut flora and antibiotic resistance.
Her political memoirs are due to be published in 2024.
Merkel’s Felix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize on Wednesday is named after Ivory Coast’s first president after independence from France in 1960.
The award was presented to Merkel in Yamoussoukro, the capital of Ivory Coast and hometown of the late Houphouët-Boigny.
FKN