The prize was presented to Ms. Bouayach, Tuesday at the Portuguese Parliament, by the President of the Republic of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and the President of the Assembly of the Portuguese Republic, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, in the presence of eminent personalities from the world of politics, business, arts and media.
This prestigious prize has been awarded every year since 1995 to two candidates (personalities, activists or organizations) who have distinguished themselves by their exceptional commitment to promoting solidarity between the North and the South.
The 29th Council of Europe North-South Prize was also awarded to the Global Campus of Human Rights, represented by its president, Judge Veronica Gómez, and its secretary general, Manfred Nowak.
In a speech on this occasion, Mr. Rebelo de Sousa stressed that the prize awarded to Ms. Bouayach constitutes “recognition of her fierce defense of human rights in her country and abroad and of her dedicated work to promote women’s rights, gender equality and democracy.
The Portuguese President pleaded, in this context, in favor of the fight for democracy and human dignity, in the face of attacks against these values throughout the world, including on the European continent.
According to him, the prize is “a recognition of the existence of a space to defend the values of the Council of Europe”, adding that “despite the attacks against these values in the world, including on our continent, the battle for democracy and human dignity has not been lost and must be won.”
“We can all contribute to the project of a better world, let’s not waste this opportunity, it’s more than a call this time, it’s a life mission,” he said.
For his part, Mr. Aguiar-Branco indicated that this moment of tribute invites us to reflect on the fate of democracy and to continue working for the promotion of human rights and the improvement of people’s lives, adding that democracy and human rights are “important values in the North and the South” across the world.
The tribute paid to Ms. Bouayach is a celebration of her brilliant career and recognition of her contribution to the promotion of the gender approach and her advocacy for the advancement of women’s rights, he added.
For her part, the President of the Executive Committee of the North-South Center of the Council of Europe, Ambassador Francesca Camilleri Wittiger, noted that the prize was awarded to Ms. Bouayach for her action in promoting human rights. ‘Man and gender equality.
In previous editions, the prize has been awarded to high-ranking personalities, including heads of state and senior civil servants (former President of Portugal and High Representative of the United Nations for the Alliance of Civilizations, Jorge Sampaio, Queen Rania of Jordan, President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, former President of Serbia Boris Tadić, former President of Ireland Mary Robinson, and many others).
Other winners include the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, and Suzanne Jabbour, Chair of the United Nations Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture.
