Adamowicz Award 2024
The President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Vasco Alves Cordeiro, launched the 4th edition of the Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award for courage and excellence in the promotion of freedom, solidarity and equality, during the 161st CoR Plenary Session held on 19 and 20 June 2024.
The deadline for submitting nominations for the Award is 31 October 2024.
Submit a nomination
You can submit a nomination if you are:
- A group of 10 CoR members or alternate members
- A group of 10 Members of the European Parliament
- Presidents of local or regional councils or Mayors
- Representatives of international organisations
- Representatives of national associations of local and regional authorities
- Member of ICORN
Self-nominations are not eligible.
Please read the full Nomination Criteria for more information.
Adamowicz Award 2023 Laureate
The Award ceremony of the 2023 edition of the Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award was concluded at the 10th European Summit of Regions and Cities in Mons, during the closing plenary session.
The Italian NGO from Brescia, Local Democracy Agency Zavidovići, was proclaimed as a laureate, for their 30-year-long work on integration of migrants, helping civil populations in war and developing local democracy. A Special mention of the Jury was granted to Alla Myronova, mayor of Inhulka, in Ukraine, for her courageous stand in favour of her community, especially during Russian occupation.
"Ordinary people can do extraordinary things" stated Oleksandra Matviichuk, Nobel Peace Prize, in her speech.
However, "Things do not happen quickly, but the change is the result of a constant and long-term commitment." said Maddalena Alberti, executive director of LDA Zavidovići. : "courage is a virtue characterized by an 'endurance in the impossible'; let the impossible become possible."
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.