Awards given by United Nations you may have never heard of
Afghan refugee teacher Aqeela Asifi has received the 2015 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Nansen Refugee Award. The award has been conferred on Asifi for her tireless efforts to educate Afghan refugees at Kot Chandana refugee village in Mianwali, Pakistan.
The Nansen Refugee Award is named after Norwegian polar explorer and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Fridtjof Nansen. The award is given to those who have contributed largely to the welfare of refugees during critical times. Asifi has done just that, to a great extent.
The United Nations has come up with several more awards that are given to individuals every year for their remarkable achievements in contributing to the betterment of people and the world.
Here are 7 such awards given by the United Nations:
1. Champions of the Earth: The United Nations started giving this award from 2004. The Champions of the Earth award is given to individuals for their outstanding feats in the field of environmental welfare. In 2015, it was conferred on Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
2. Dag Hammarskjold Medal: This award is conferred on military personnel who lose their lives while serving in a UN peacekeeping operation. It is named after former UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold, who died in a plane crash in Zambia while on duty
3. Forest Hero Award: Launched in 2011, the United Nations Forest Hero Award is given to individuals for their lifetime achievement in the field of forest conservation. This award is given to one person in each of these five regions – Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North America. In 2012, Preecha Siri of Thailand received the award from the Asian region
4. Prizes in the Field of Human Rights: This award is given to those who contribute to the protection and preservation of human rights around the world. Started in1968, the award is presented every five years. Malala Yousafzai won it in 2013
5. Public Service Award: Individuals with outstanding service in public service get this award. Considered as one of the most prestigious awards in the world, The award aims to promote professionalism and transparency in the field of public service
6. Special Service Medal : Military personnel, who serve as a member of the United Nation’s peacekeeping operations, receive this medal. However, only those who work on field and not in the UN headquarters are only eligible for it
7. Habitat Scroll of Honour Award: The United Nations Residential Centre presents this award to encourage and recognise nations and organisations who have contributed greatly in the field of housing and habitat. It aims to honour those who put an effort to improve the living conditions in urban centres in the world.
Source: http://indiatoday.intoday.in