Annan awarded environmental prize for efforts in sustainable development

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan was unanimously declared today the winner of the 2005 Prize for Global Leadership and the Environment conferred by the Zayed Prize International Jury, for his efforts on the environment and sustainable development.

“One person has done more than most to catalyze political and public opinion to an understanding that the environment is a fundamental pillar of sustainable development. That person is Mr. Kofi Annan,” the jury said in its citation, according to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

The jury noted, in particular, Mr. Annan’s leadership at environmental conferences and that environmental themes were featured in the various reports he requested in the run up to the 2005 World Summit in New York including “A More Secure World: Our Shared Responsibility” and “In Larger Freedom”.

The Zayed International Prize for the Environment was established by Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and United Arab Emirates Minister of Defense, to acknowledge the environmental commitment of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

It is worth $ 1 million and is considered among the most prestigious environment-related awards in the world.

Previous Global Leadership winners have been former United States President Jimmy Carter and the British Broadcasting Corporation for their global media commitment to environment and sustainable development issues.