Gambian Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara and National Peace Hut Women of Liberia received the 2019 UN Population Award in a ceremony at the UN headquarters Thursday.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed conferred on the laureates the award, which consists of a gold medal, a diploma and a monetary prize for them each.
The winner for the individual category, Mamadou Tangara, the minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, was recognized for his leadership in conflict prevention and his understanding of the importance of the grassroots non-violent youth movement in the political uncertainty following the Gambian presidential election in 2016.
The secretary of the committee for the award read out the citation on his diploma: “in recognition of your courage and your leadership, through the use of diplomacy, both in the global and national arenas, which helped prevent conflict in your country, the Gambia…”
The recipient of the award’s institution category, the National Peace Hut Women of Liberia, has helped women and former child soldiers become agents of change in their communities following the country’s civil war.
The organization, founded in 2004, also provided safe spaces for survivors of gender-based violence and rape, becoming a beacon of continued hope to the people of Liberia.
“In recognition of significant contributions of the National Peace Hut of Women of Liberia to conflict resolution and peacebuilding, and most particularly in the area of prevention and advocacy to end sexual and gender-based violence…,” its diploma read.
Since this year is the 25th since the adoption of the Cairo Programme of Action on Population and Development and marks the 50th anniversary of the UN Population Fund, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in his message to the award that the fund has been a leader in advancing the landmark program and in mobilizing action to achieve the sustainable development goals.
Meanwhile, his message, delivered by Amina Mohammed, noted that many challenges still remain. “Maternal conditions, for example, are still the leading cause of death amongst our girls age 15 to 19, and gender-based violence, which is rooted in inequality, continues to take a horrific toll.”
Extending his greetings to the recipients, the secretary-general noted “award winners were selected for their dedication to peace and sustainable development, for providing safe havens in the midst of conflict and for rebuilding societies and communities.”
Permanent Representative of Romania to the United Nations Ion Jinga, who chaired the award ceremony, said since the Cairo programme of action, “considerable achievements” have been made.
Specifically, he noted life expectancy increased from 64.9 years in 1994 to 72.3 in 2019 and that both mortality and child mortality have dropped significantly.
“All of these gains are part of a massive surge in human capabilities,” he said.
The UN Population Award was established by a UN General Assembly resolution in 1981. The award is presented annually to an individual and an institution in recognition of outstanding contributions to increasing the awareness of population questions or to their solutions.
