United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has been awarded the prestigious Zayed Prize for Global Leadership for his efforts to save the environment and promote sustainable development.
The prize is worth $1 million.
"One person has done more than most to catalyse political and public opinion to an understanding that the environment is a fundamental pillar of sustainable development. That person is Kofi Annan," the jury said in its citation.
The jury noted 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.
The Zayed International Prize for the Environment was established by Dubai's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to acknowledge the environmental commitment of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Previous Global Leadership winners include former United States President Jimmy Carter and the British Broadcasting Corporation for their global media commitment to environment and sustainable development issues.
External link: Zayed International Prize for the Environment