Ailing former South African President Nelson Mandela has been presented with a humanitarian achievement award for his contribution to South-South cooperation and sustainable development.
In accepting the prize on behalf of their father, Zindzi Mandela and Josina Machel stressed his dedication to wide-ranging cooperation among developing nations.
Mr. Mandela’s wife, Graca Machel, was also recognised for her humanitarian work advocating for culture, children, and women.
Mr. Mandela, 95, has been suffering from a recurring lung infection. He is under intensive care at his Johannesburg home, since he was shifted from the Pretoria hospital on September 1.
The theme of the annual event was innovation and technology for sustainable development. The awards seek to highlight the achievements of countries in the Global South, and recognise public and private sector leaders who have contributed significantly to South-South cooperation and sustainable development.
Among this year’s public sector award recipients were Costa Rica, the Kingdom of Bahrain and Fiji.
In his remarks to the star-studded gathering, Ambassador Francis Lorenzo, president of the International Organisation for South-South Cooperation and co-chair of the award committee, underlined the crucial role of information and communications technologies as a tool for development.
The awards, he said, “bring not only the bridge between the public and private sectors, but also give us the opportunity to serve as facilitator” in strengthening cooperation in developing countries.
The South-South Awards 2013 is co-organised by the Permanent Mission of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Public Administration Network (UNPAN), the South-South Steering Committee for Sustainable Development (SS-SCSD), the International Organisation for South-South Cooperation (IOSSC) and South-South News.
