[ad_1]
Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Reuters = Yonhap News
The Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation (President Yeom Jae-ho) announced on the 23rd that it had selected Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the recipient of the 15th Seoul Peace Prize. It is a contribution to world peace through sport. President Bach will receive a certificate, a plaque and a cash prize of $ 200,000.
The Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation said: “President Bach made North Korea a symbol of the ‘Olympic Peace Games’ by participating in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. I appreciate it very much.” revealed the reason for the selection.
The Seoul Peace Prize, established in 1990, was established to commemorate the spirit of the Seoul Olympics, which inspired an atmosphere of harmony and peace in East and West. It has been awarded every two years to individuals and organizations that have contributed to human well-being and the establishment of world peace. A committee of judges made up of 8 people from all walks of life (Chairman Ja-Yeol Koo) strictly and objectively judges the candidates to select the winners.
President Bach played a major role in crafting the ‘Olympic Armistice Resolution’ through the United Nations General Assembly in 2017, when the crisis on the Korean peninsula was exacerbated by nuclear tests and launches of ballistic missiles from North Korea. As a result, 92 countries participated in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the largest number in the history of the Winter Games. He also played a leadership role in helping the South and North create the first women’s ice hockey team in Olympic history.
The Foundation explained that “President Bach is from Germany with a history of division and knows well the pain and joy of reunification” and said, “I worked hard to establish peace and harmony through sports on the Korean peninsula. , a situation similar to that of Germany. ” .
He has also worked to promote the rights of refugees. In 2015, the UN General Assembly announced the establishment of the Olympic Refugee Campaign. Thanks to this, 10 refugee athletes from South Sudan, Ethiopia and Syria were able to participate in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Since then, the IOC has created the ‘Foundation for Olympic Refugees’ in 2017 with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
In addition, it has contributed to national harmony by revitalizing sport in developing countries. He built sports facilities in Haiti and other countries after the 2010 earthquake, providing young people with sports education opportunities.
President Bach’s award ceremony is scheduled to take place in Seoul this year.
Reporter Seok-Hyun Ko [email protected]
[ad_2]
