SG donates money from Seoul Peace Prize to trust funds for colleagues and for mediation
Posted: Thursday, 8 November 2012, New York | Author: Department of Public Information
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced
that he is donating the money he received from the Seoul Peace Prize award to
two UN funds - one for fallen colleagues and one for mediation.
"I am announcing this evening that I have decided to donate the generous proceeds of this award to advance two critical missions,” said Mr. Ban at a reception following the award ceremony in Seoul on Monday on 29 October.
“I will donate half of the prize money to the Trust Fund that supports the families of our fallen United Nations colleagues who perished in the cause of peace. I will donate the other half to the United Nations Trust Fund for Mediation, one of my top priorities and a cornerstone of the United Nations' work”.
Since the amount of the prize is 200,000 USD, each fund will receive 100,000 USD.
Mr. Ban sought thus to “honour the families of those who died to advance peace” and to “support efforts to keep their vital mission alive."
As he received the award, Mr. Ban recognized the important role of all United Nations colleagues. "It is an immense honour to be awarded the Seoul Peace Prize," he said. "I know that through me, you are also paying tribute to the United Nations, our work for peace across the world, and the diverse and talented staff who bring the UN Charter to life".
The Memorial and Recognition Fund to assist children of United Nations civilian personnel killed in the line of duty through acts or incidents that occurred on or after 28 October 2009 has its roots in the Nobel Peace Prize Memorial Fund created in 2003. Please contact the
Emergency Preparedness and Support Team
within OHRM at
epst@un.org
for more information.
The contribution from the Secretary-General will also help the
Department of Political Affairs to continue to professionalize its work through the development of
guidance , training and policy in mediation. DPA makes use of flexible funding to permit the rapid deployment of mediators and experts to peace talks and crisis environments, including through the services of its
Mediation Support Unit and its rapidly deployable
Standby Team of Mediation Experts . DPA is currently supporting the work of envoys engaged in preventative diplomacy and mediation in many regional hotspots, among them Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and the Sahel.
The Seoul Peace Prize was created after the 1988 Summer Olympics. The Secretary-General is the first Korean to win the prize.