17 November 2016– The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Ms. Sigrid Kaag, was awarded the Carnegie Wateler Peace Prize on 16 November 2016. The prize, presented to Ms. Kaag in the Peace Palace in The Hague, came in recognition of her leadership of the 2013 joint OPCW-UN mission to eliminate the declared chemical weapons of the Syrian Arab Republic as well as her role in conflict prevention and diplomacy in Lebanon.
In her acceptance speech, Ms. Kaag expressed her gratitude to the Carnegie foundation for the award and her recognition for the many UN peacekeepers, humanitarian workers and human rights activists who risk their lives in areas of instability or conflict to serve others and those who strive, mostly behind the scenes, to prevent conflicts from breaking out and to build more cohesive and peaceful societies.
Ms. Kaag also highlighted the challenges of achieving and sustaining lasting peace: “Peace can only be won by patient, determined effort, through trial and error, and with the knowledge that setbacks may occur but must be overcome. Peace can only be won through commitment, courage and dedication. We all have a role to play. Individuals – within the affected communities, civil society, politicians, member states, the multilateral system, the private sector, and peace philanthropists. Not merely as recipients or providers of services and support, but as full partners. There is no stability and development without owning the path towards peace and the paper it is signed on.”
The Board of the Carnegie Foundation awards the Carnegie Wateler Peace Prize every two years for individuals and organizations championing the cause for international peace. The Prize is named after Dutch banker Johan Wateler. A hundred years ago, Wateler followed up the example of Alfred Nobel and drew up a testament allocating capital for the establishment of a Peace Prize. Previous laureates include Jean Monnet, Lakhdar Brahimi,and Jeremy Gilley.