Adamowicz Award 2023
Nominations are open!
The new edition of the award was launched at the CIVEX commission meeting in the European Committee of the Regions on the 20 June 2023, by the new chair of CIVEX, Mr Patrick Mollinoz (FR/PES).
Mr Patrick Mollinoz at the launch of the 2023 edition of the MPAA, © European Union/ Daugelaite Giedre
Mr Mollinoz already has some experience in the award as he chaired the MPAA Jury in 2022, in the name of the former CIVEX chair.
"Democracy is at stake when violence, manipulation, fake news and complotism become a daily « reality ». In that context the role of mayors should be stenghtened and protected. With this third edition, the Pawel Adamowicz award will strengthen its recognition and importance."
You can nominate a future laureate until the 31 October 2023 if you are:
- a group of 10 (ten) COR members, alternates and/or MEP-s together, subject to modalities to be agreed with the European Parliament
- an ICORN city or its representative body (decision signed by chair of assembly or mayor)
- an international organisation (signed by an executive)
- any city or regional council (decision signed by chair of assembly or mayor)
For full Nominations Criteria please check here.
You can nominate your candidates here.
Adamowicz Award 2022 Laureate
The municipality of Michałowo in Poland has been honoured with the Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award for the help it has provided refugees at the border with Belarus. The award was announced at the European Solidarity Centre in Gdańsk on 13 January and was presented to the Mayor of Michałowo Marek Nazarko at the
plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions in Brussels on 8 February.
The award recognises the life-saving support that Michałowo and its population provided to migrants who found themselves stranded between Poland and Belarus after the Polish government in September 2021 imposed a state of emergency in response to Belarus's sponsorship of illegal migration.
The jury also decided to give a special mention to Oleksandr Babich, Mayor of Hola Prystan in the south of Ukraine, who has been held captive since March 2022 for trying to protect his local community.
Adamowicz Award 2021 Laureate
The first Laureate of the Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award was
Henriette Reker, the
Lord Mayor of Cologne in Germany.
The Award Jury conferred the honour on Ms Reker in recognition of her extraordinary dedication and work in her city in promoting tolerance, inclusiveness, and the integration and non-discrimination of citizens with migrant backgrounds, whilst fighting hate-speech and xenophobia. Amongst the many personal and professional challenges she has faced in carrying out this work, she survived a near-fatal xenophobia-motivated knife attack in October 2015.
Background
Mayor Paweł Adamowicz focused his activities on fostering solidarity, the integration of migrants and minorities, dialogue with civil society, and the promotion of fundamental rights on the ground. He was first elected as Mayor of Gdańsk in 1998, and served the city in that position until his assassination on 13 January 2019.
The establishment of this Award is an homage to and recognition of everyone who works with courage and integrity against intolerance, radicalisation, hate-speech, oppression and xenophobia. Those who promote equal opportunities, social integration and fundamental rights. Those who are inspired by and carry on the legacy of Paweł Adamowicz.
It honours those around the world who build bridges and tear down walls, with a clear sense of responsibility for future generations – people who pave the way for societal changes in favour of the weakest, not shying away from any urgent battle for human rights and civil liberties, locally, nationally or internationally.
The Award presents Mayor Paweł Adamowicz's legacy to a wider audience, with the aim of inspiring local and regional politicians throughout Europe and beyond to build upon the work he started.
More about the life and work of Paweł Adamowicz.