"This year's winners are two exceptional human rights defenders who had made the rights, dignity and lives of others their own life's work. In a time when people feel disempowered and trust in institutions is being eroded, this year's laureates reassure us that hope can triumph over cynicism. They therefore reflect perfectly the ethos of the North-South Prize", highlighted Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni at the 2018 North-South Prize Award Ceremony in Lisbon.

The Prize was awarded to the Secretary General of the Finnish Red Cross Kristiina Kumpula and to the Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross Society Dr. Abbas Gullet, in the Senate room of the Portuguese Parliament, by the President of the Republic Marcelo Rebelo De Sousa.

The Acting President of the Portuguese Parliament Jorge Lacao, the Chairperson of the Portuguese delegation to PACE, Ana Catarina Mendes and the Chair of the North-South Centre Executive Committee, Ambassador Javier Gil Catalina also attended the ceremony.

• Speech by Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni
• Speech by Javier Gil Catalina