UNESCO has awarded its Peace Prize to Giuseppina/ Giusi Nicolini, the mayor of the Italian island of Lampedusa.
This is for her commitment to saving the lives of migrants and refugees.
Nicolini saved thousands who fled across Mediterranean on boats in search of a better life.
Lampedusa is a first European landfall for people fleeing war and economic hardship in Middle East and Africa.
Since 2012, mayor Nicolini has defended refugee and migrant rights.
The UNESCO Peace Prize jury recognised Nicolini for boundless humanity and commitment to refugee crisis management and integration in response to thousands of refugees on Lampedusa shores.
Nearly 13,000 women, men and children have perished in shipwrecks since 2013.
A total of 8,360 migrants have been rescued between April 14 –16 in Mediterranean and around 32,800 people have been brought to land since the start of 2017, as per the International Organisation for Migration.
At least 900 migrants have either perished or gone missing to cross the Mediterranean according to IOM's missing migrants project.
Nicolini leads a population of 6,500 residents on the Italian island 20 square miles.
The Jury of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize also decided to award the nongovernmental organization SOS Méditerranée (France) for their work to save the lives of refugees and migrants and welcome them with dignity.
Since becoming mayor in 2012, Giuseppina Nicolini has been recognized for her boundless humanity and unwavering commitment to refugee crisis management and integration.
This is in response to the arrival of thousands of refugees on the shores of Lampedusa and elsewhere in Italy.
SOS Méditerranée is a civic, European organization for the rescue of people in distress in the Mediterranean.
Since launching its rescue operation in February 2016, the organization has saved more than 11,000 lives.
The Jury also appealed to the international community to ensure that the Mediterranean Sea becomes, once again, a place where solidarity and intercultural dialogue hold importance.
The Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize was created in 1989 to honour individuals or public and private bodies or institutions that have made a significant contribution to promoting, seeking, safeguarding or maintaining peace.
This is in conformity with the United Nations’ Charter and the Constitution of UNESCO.
Past Laureates of the Prize- French President François Hollande
- Nelson Mandela
- Frederik W. De Klerk
- Yitzhak Rabin
- Shimon Peres
- Yasser Arafat
- King Juan Carlos of Spain
- Former US President, Jimmy Carter
