New York, Oct 5 (EFE).- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said here Friday that the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to a Congolese physician and an Iraqi activist battling sexual violence represents an acknowledgment of victims.
The 2018 prize is shared by Nadia Murad, a Yazidi rights activist and the first Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and Dr. Denis Mukwege, a gynecologist who treats victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“Sexual violence in conflict is a threat to peace and a stain on our common humanity. Yet it remains widespread.
Congratulations to our UN partners @DenisMukwege & @NadiaMuradBasee on the #NobelPrize. We will continue to support their courageous efforts,” Guterres wrote on Twitter following the announcement.
Guterres later recalled that Murad was a crucial source of information on the “unspeakable abuse” in northern Iraq when violent Daesh extremists brutally attacked Yazidi people, especially women and girls.
“She has pursued support for victims of human trafficking and sexual slavery, and justice for perpetrators,” the secretary-general said of Murad.
Regarding Mukwege, Guterres said he was a “fearless” defender of the rights of women trapped in armed conflicts who have suffered rape, exploitation and other horrific abuses.
“Ten years ago, the Security Council unanimously condemned sexual violence as a weapon of war. Today the Nobel Committee recognized the efforts of Nadia Murad and Denis Mukwege as vital tools for peace,” Guterres said.
“By honoring these defenders of human dignity, this prize also recognizes countless victims around the world who have too often been stigmatized, hidden and forgotten. This is their award, too,” the secretary-general said. “Let us honor these new Nobel laureates by standing up for victims of sexual violence everywhere.”