Erdogan to receive UN award in memory of Hariri

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will receive an inaugural award honoring the late Lebanese leader Rafiq Hariri, who was killed in a car bomb attack five years ago, the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT) has announced. UN-HABITAT stated that the award will be given to Erdogan for his achievements in "leadership, statesmanship and good governance," especially as mayor of Istanbul in the mid-1990s when he hosted the Second UN Conference on Human Settlements, which led to the establishment of UN-HABITAT as a full-fledged UN program tasked with promoting adequate shelter for all. "When the history of UN-HABITAT is written, Erdogan's contribution as mayor of Istanbul will not be missed," UN-HABITAT Executive Director Anna Tibaijuka said in a message congratulating him on the award. Tibaijuka added that she looked forward to receiving Erdogan at the World Urban Forum later this month in Rio de Janeiro, where the ceremony to present the award will be held. In granting the honor, the seven-member international jury also noted Erdogan's contribution to conflict resolution, tolerance and peace-building initiatives in his region and international cooperation.