The ceremony for the North-South Prize took place on 27 March in Lisbon. The 2011 winners are Souhayr Belhassen (Tunisia) and Boris Tadic, President of the Republic of Serbia. The Prize was awarded by the President of the Republic of Portugal.
The Executive Committee of North-South Centre has agreed to jointly award the Council of Europe North-South Prize 2011 to:
- for the North, Boris Tadic, President of the Republic of Serbia, in recognition of his political action for the reconciliation of the Balkans and the integration of his country in the process of European construction. His support for international justice has been a determining factor in the arrest and transfer to The Hague, of the last two criminals sought by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in 2011 (Ratko Mladic et Goran Hadzic);
- for the South, Souhayr Belhassen (Tunisia), President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), in recognition of her long-time commitment in favour of human rights in the world, as well as for her fight for the rights of women in developing countries. Her path is both an example and symbol of the major role played by the women in the historic changes which have taken place in 2011 in the Arabic world. This is the first time that a Tunisian personality receives this prize.
Speeches by order of intervention (originals):
Mrs Assunção Esteves, the President of the Assembly of the Republic opens the session
Mrs Deborah Bergamini, Chair of the Executive Committee of the North-South Centre
Mr. Mota Amaral, President of the Portuguese Parliamentary Delegation to the PACE
Mrs. Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe
Mr. Jean Claude Mignon, President of PACE
Mrs Souhayr Belhassen, President of the FIDH
Mr. Boris Tadic, President of the Republic of Serbia
Mr Aníbal Cavaco Silva, President of the Portuguese Republic
The North-South Prize has been awarded every year since 1995 to two candidates who have stood out for their exceptional commitment to promoting North-South solidarity. The candidates, preferably a man and a woman, must have distinguished themselves in the following areas: protection of human rights, defense of pluralist democracy, public awareness raising on issues of global interdependence and solidarity, and strengthening the North-South partnership.
The North-South Prize was awarded last year to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Louise Arbour. In the past, the prize has been given to personalities as diverse as Mikhail Gorbachev, Rola Dashti, Bob Geldof, Simone Veil, Mário Soares, Peter Gabriel, Stéphane Hessel, Graça Machel, Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan and Jorge Sampaio.