Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel wins UNESCO Peace Prize 2022

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Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been awarded the 2022 UNESCO Peace Prize for her efforts to welcome refugees.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• All jurors, including jury chairman and 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege, have been impressed by Merkel's courageous decision to welcome more than 1.2 million refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Eritrea in 2015.

• Additionally, the jury awarded an honorable mention to Julian Lusanz for his commitment to women victims of sexual violence.

Angela Merkel :

• Angela Merkel was born on 17 July 1954 in Hamburg, West Germany.

• In the 2005 national elections, Merkel became the first female chancellor of Germany, and is one of the leading figures in the European Union.

• She became the Chancellor of Germany for the fourth and last time on 14 March 2014.

• Before joining politics, she was working as a research scientist.

About UNESCO Peace Prize :

• Officially it is called the Felix Houphouet-Bougain-UNESCO Peace Prize.

• The honour is named after the former President of Ivory Coast.

• UNESCO's Felix Houphouet-Bogen Peace Prize was created in 1989 to honour living individuals and active public or private bodies or institutions that have made significant contributions to peace.

• The award was established by a resolution supported by 120 countries

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

About UNESCO :

• Establishment of UNESCO - 16 November 1945

• UNESCO Headquarters - Paris, France

• UNESCO members - 193 countries

• UNESCO chief - Audrey Azoulay