The Abraham Global Peace Initiative (AGPI) presented Canada's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Bob Rae, with its First Annual Human Rights Award, during a ceremony held in New York City.
"I'm honored to have received this award," said Ambassador Rae. "This is a time to rededicate ourselves to the cause of peace and to the cause of human rights, which is the cause of the United Nations. To be successful at the United Nations, you need to know how to listen, how to engage with other people, and to be open to learning. We look forward to following the progress of AGPI as it grows and extends its mission, which is one that is exceptionally important for the world."
Ambassador Rae was chosen for his track record in advancing human rights throughout his career. “Ambassador Rae served as Premier of Ontario and Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. His career spans a wide range of areas including recently as Special Envoy to Myanmar, as Special Envoy on Humanitarian and Refugee Issues leading to his report “A Global Pandemic Requires a Global Response," said Paul Godfrey, Honorary Chairman of AGPI.
The ceremony was attended by representatives from the United States, Israel, UAE, Morocco and Bahrain missions to the United Nations, among other nations.
AGPI is a new Canadian global rights organization dedicated to the advancement of human rights, democracy, peace, and combating racism and intolerance. They work to identify and oppose antisemitism in Canada and around the world, pursue peace between countries in the Middle East and advocate global engagement on these issues.