The President of Morocco’s National Council for Human Rights (CNDH), Amina Bouayach, accepted the Council of Europe’s North-South Center Prize on Tuesday in Lisbon, Portugal, in honor of her remarkable contributions to the protection and promotion of human rights.
The first Moroccan woman to be awarded the prize, the awards committee praised the CNDH President’s efforts to defend the right to life, through abolition of the death penalty, and her support of initiatives and actions to strengthen the role of civil society throughout the Mediterranean region.
In addition to being the first Moroccan woman, Bouayach is only the third Moroccan ever to receive the Prix Nord-Sud. The first two were the late Abderrahmane El Youssoufi, former Head of the Moroccan government who received the prize in 1999, and André Azoulay, advisor to King Mohammed VI who was honored with it in 2014.
The prize has been awarded to leading world figures, including heads of state and senior officials such as Jorge Sampaio, the former President of Portugal and the UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations; Queen Rania of Jordan, Luiz Inàcio Lula da Silva, the 35th President of Brazil; Boris Tadic, former President of the Republic of Serbia; and Mary Robinson, the former President of Ireland.
Kofi Annan, 7th Secretary General of the United Nations, and Suzanne Jabbour, current Chair of the UN Subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture, are also among those who have received the prestigious award.
The North-South prize has been awarded annually since 1995 to individuals or organizations in recognition of their involvement and actions in promoting human rights and democratic plurality, and for their role in strengthening North-South solidarity.