Vitaliy Klitschko Mayor of Kyiv, receives the Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award for his commitment to freedom and the rule of law in a time of war

Special recognition also given to Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan for work on reconciliation between Palestinian and Israeli communities. 

Vitaliy Klitschko Mayor of Kyiv has been presented with the Paweł Adamowicz Award in recognition of his extraordinary leadership and fostering civic engagement even amidst the extreme challenges of war. The award was presented by the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Kata Tüttő and Magdalena Adamowicz, Member of the European Parliament, in the presence of the Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, at a plenary session European Committee of the Regions in Brussels on 20 February. 

Awarded for the fourth time, the prize was established by the European Committee of the Regions in cooperation with the City of Gdańsk and the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN). The award is presented to local leaders – in politics or in civil society – fighting intolerance, radicalisation, hate speech and xenophobia. It acknowledges the work of all elected representatives, officials, organisations and ordinary citizens who, despite the risks, seek to make democracy work at the local level, supporting better and more open communities. As part of the inter-institutional cooperation to promote the Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award, Members of the European Parliament were also able to nominate candidates.  

The Mayor of Kyiv, Vitaliy Klitschko, received the Award from Kata Tüttő, the President of the European Committee of the Regions, and Magdalena Adamowicz, Member of the European Parliament, in recognition of his focus on resilience, innovation and human rights. In the face of Russian aggression, the leadership of Vitaliy Klitschko helped protecting human rights, ensuring access to basic services such as water, electricity and emergency assistance, and coordinating humanitarian efforts for displaced people. The jury said that his support for freedom, the rule of law and European integration underscores his commitment to Kyiv's democratic future and praised his innovative approach to civic engagement and leadership in the defence of human rights, saying that he has become a global symbol of courage and ambition. 

According to the jury, Kyiv mayor's initiatives are a model for other cities. Such initiatives include: the introduction of the Kyiv Digital app, which allows residents to raise issues and vote on local initiatives, and the creation of the Vcentri Hub Network, which serves as an important public space for government, civil society organisations and the community. The mayor of Kyiv, while ensuring access to essential services such as water and electricity, has also supported dialogue between citizens and the government through public consultations and discussions, from public hearings and forums to online surveys and support for the creation of public councils together with civil society organisations. 

The jury also decided to award a special mention to Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan, Palestinian and Israeli community leaders working on reconciliation between the communities. Representatives of Parents Circle - Families Forum (PCFF), an organisation of Palestinian and Israeli parents who have lost children in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, were honoured for their joint commitment to peace and equality and their pursuit of non-violent solutions based on shared experience of grief, the loss of their daughters in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.  

Their activities, including dialogue meetings, a joint Israeli-Palestinian Day of Remembrance, online engagement, and cross-community educational groups and exchanges, not only impacted those directly involved (700 families) through PCFF programs (e.g., Young Ambassadors for Peace or the women's group), but also reached wider communities through extensive media coverage and international collaboration with PCFF friends in the US, UK and Germany.  

The other shortlisted nominees were (in alphabetical order): 

• Alain Chouraqui: founder of Camp des Milles, France. The Camp des Milles Memorial and Education Foundation has transformed a former internment camp into a Holocaust education and remembrance centre; 

• Alexei Gorinov: Russian opposition leader at municipal level and human rights activist, currently imprisoned for opposing the Russian regime;  

• Kamira: National Federation of Roma women associations, Spain. Kamira promotes social inclusion and fighting discrimination against Roma women. a national federation of Roma women's associations in Spain. It was founded in 1999 and comprises 23 associations across eight autonomous communities. The organisation focuses on promoting the freedom, solidarity and equality of the Roma community and also on promoting social integration and combating discrimination against Roma women; 

• Andriy Sadovyi: Mayor of Lviv, Ukraine, recognised for his actions in support of the victims of war and the protection of human rights during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

Quotes 

Vitaliy Klitschko, Mayor of Kyiv, said: "It is a great honor for me to receive the Paweł Adamowicz Award. This is not only a recognition of my work as the Mayor of Kyiv and a politician but also a testament to the unwavering commitment to the values of freedom and democracy, as well as the heroism of the entire Ukrainian people. For nearly three years now, we have been fighting for our statehood and a democratic future. I am grateful for the support of our friends and partners. Together, we are standing for our shared values and the security of the democratic world. And together, we must win this fight!" 

Rami Elhanan, Member of the Parents Circle Family Forum, said: "Standing aside while a crime is being committed is also a crime. On this occasion, I would like to ask you, I would like to demand of you in my name and my brother's name and the name of all the bereaved parents, the Israelis and the Palestinians, do not be pro-Israel. Do not be pro-Palestine. Be pro-peace. Be against injustice. And don't let fascism win."  

Bassam Aramin, spokesperson of the Parents Circle Family Forum, said: “Always I said that the Jewish people were victims of the Holocaust back in Europe and the Palestinians become the victim of the victim and me and Rami, our daughters, Abir and Smadar, are victims to the Israeli occupation. With your help, we will stop this circle of blood." 

President of the European Committee of the Regions, Kata Tüttő said:" The 2024 edition of the Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award celebrates the legacy of the Mayor of the City of Gdańsk and CoR member, assassinated while defending local democracy, diversity, solidarity, with a resounding call for peace, reconciliation and reconstruction against a background of raging wars that tear communities apart. I salute the unparalleled courage and extraordinary leadership of Vitaliy Klitschko, Mayor of Kyiv, who has been fostering civic engagement in the face of extreme adversity. I also extend my warmest appreciation to Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan, the Palestinian and Israeli community leaders from the Parents' Circle Family Forum, for their unwavering struggle to build bridges between the two communities. These figures are a true inspiration for us, locally and regionally elected representatives across the EU. 

Marta Kos, Commissioner for Enlargement, said: “Ukrainian mayors and local councils are heroes of resilience. They provide leadership and essential services under unimaginable circumstances. When people lose their homes to Russian bombings, local authorities are often the first to step up—repurposing sports halls as shelters or providing food and clothing. It is only right that, with Vitaliy Klitschko, a Ukrainian mayor has received the Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award. His Kyiv is the emotional capital of all who dream of the true unification of our continent—all who share the dream of a peaceful, free, and prosperous European Union.” 

Magdalena Adamowicz, Member of the European Parliament, widow of Mayor Adamowicz, said: "When the world leans toward evil, the courage to spread goodness becomes humanity's most precious and rare treasure. Evil, after all, always first strikes at courage, because in a world without courage, evil thrives. This is why anyone who, today, has the courage to stand against evil and do good is like a firefighter rushing into the fiercest flames to save lives. And "whoever saves one life, saves the entire world." My husband deeply admired this saying and lived by it. The President Paweł Adamowicz Award is a recognition for those who save the world by saving every life they can. This year’s laureate is Vitali Klitschko, who, with unwavering courage, is guiding Kyiv through the darkest hours in the history of independent Ukraine. Vitali Klitschko is the Churchill of Kyiv, just as Volodymyr Zelensky is the Churchill of Ukraine."

More information 

• Video and photos from the debate.   
• The winner of the Paweł Adamowicz Award was announced on13 January 2025 at a ceremony in Gdańsk. The ceremony was part of a two-day celebration commemorating the 6th anniversary of the assassination of MayorPaweł Adamowicz, as well as an opportunity to reflect on his legacy, honour the values he championed, and condemn all acts of hatred. 
• Paweł Adamowicz was stabbed on 13 January 2019 while speaking at a charity event. His murder was preceded by a rise in hate speech directed at him. His last words, uttered just before he was attacked, were: "Gdańsk is generous, Gdańsk shares its good, Gdańsk wants to be a city of solidarity. This is a wonderful time to share the good. You are loved. Gdańsk is the most wonderful city in the world. Thank you!" Mr Adamowicz was committed to promoting the EU's fundamental values, and was an active member of the European Committee of the Regions.
• The jury was presided by the former CIVEX chair Mr Molinoz and included the Chair of the EP LIBE committee, Mr Javier Zarazalejos (ES/EPP), MEP Magdalena Adamowicz (PL/EPP), the mayor of Gdansk Aleksandra Dulkiewicz (PL/EPP), the Chair of ICORN Ms A Annika Strömberg, a representative of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (Ms Jelena Drenjanin) and last year's laureate, the director of LDA Zavidovici Maddalena Alberti.
• Former laureates are the Mayor of Cologne (Germany), Henriette Reker, the Mayor of Michałowo (Poland), Marek Nazarko and the Italian NGO from Brescia, Local Democracy Agency Zavidovići. Special Recognition awards have been given twice: in 2023, to the Mayor of Hola Prystan in Ukraine, Oleksandr Babich, who was abducted and remains imprisoned by the Russian occupiers; and in 2024 to Alla Myronova, Mayor of Inhulka, in Ukraine, for her courageous stand on behalf of her community, especially during Russian occupation.
• The European Committee of the Regions (CoR), as the political assembly of local and regional representatives in the EU and on the initiative of the Polish delegation to the CoR, unanimously adopted a resolution in February 2019 condemning hate speech and threats of all kinds against political leaders. The CoR, at its plenary session in November 2022, adopted recommendations in support of the European Commission's proposals to add hate speech and hate crimes to the list of offences recognised in EU policy via opinion on "Extending the list of EU crimes to hate speech and hate crimes" – drafted by Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, who succeeded Paweł Adamowicz as Mayor of Gdańsk.
• The International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN) is an international organisation of 80 cities and regions in Europe and beyond, offering safe haven to persecuted writers and artists, advancing freedom of expression, defending democratic values and promoting international solidarity. More than 250 writers and artists have been offered residency in an ICORN city. In a safe environment, they continue to play a vital role, both in highlighting violations of human rights and free speech in their home countries, and in supporting colleagues in their country of origin. Mayor Paweł Adamowicz brought the City of Gdańsk into ICORN in August 2017.
• Website with information about Paweł Adamowicz and the anniversary of his assassination
• Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award - website: #AdamowiczAward
• Bassam Aramin & Rami Elhanan on BBC 

Contact

Wioletta Wojewodzka
Tel. +32 02 2822289 
Mobile: +32 473 843986 
wioletta.wojewodzka@cor.europa.eu