The North-South Centre of the Council of Europe is proud to announce that Ms Kristiina Kumpula, Secretary-General of the Finnish Red Cross, and Dr Abbas Gullet, Vice President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Secretary-General of Kenya Red Cross Society, are the two laureates of the 2017 North-South Prize of the Council of Europe. With this award, the jury of the North-South Prize honours two personalities who have dedicated their lives to promote humanitarian work and foster human solidarity.
Ms Kumpula has contributed to the North-South dialogue by the promotion of health and social rights both in her home country, Finland, and in East Africa. Ms Kumpula has been actively working with the international components of the Red Cross Movement and is currently serving as Chair of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Constitutional Review Advisory Group.
Dr Abbas Gulet played an instrumental role in building the Kenyan Red Cross Society into a leading society both in the African continent and within the Movement, increasing its capacity to respond to humanitarian crises in Kenya and beyond. Dr Gullet currently serves as Vice-President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
The North-South Prize of the Council of Europe is awarded every year since 1995 to two personalities, one from the North and another form the South, who have excelled in their commitment to human rights, democracy and rule of law, contributing to the North-South dialogue, fostering solidarity, promoting interdependence and creating partnerships.
Previous winners of the prize include inspiring personalities such as Mr. Kofi Annan, Ms Simone Veil, His Highness Prince Aga Khan, Her Highness Queen Rania al- Abdullah, Mr. André Azoulay, Ms Mary Robinson, Mr Mário Soares, Ms Graça Machel, Mr Gorbatchev, Sister Doctor Maura Lynch, Mr. Cornelio Sommaruga and Ms Lora Pappa, among almost 50 laureates.
The 2017 North-South Prize of the Council of Europe is personally awarded during the first half of 2018 by the President of the Republic of Portugal during an official ceremony at the Portuguese Parliament in Lisbon, in the presence of its President, the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe and other eminent personalities.
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