Queen Mathilde of the Belgians was given the award in the presence of NRW’s Premier Armin Laschet – Picture by Belgian Monarchy.
Friday, 8 December 2017, Düsseldorf, North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany: HM Queen Mathilde of the Belgians was in Düsseldorf, capital of the German state of North-Rhine Westphanlia, to receive a German special award for her work in sustainable development (Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis).
She was chosen for “her commitment to social and humanitarian projects”, through the Queen Mathilde Fund and UNICEF in particular. In her allocution, the Queen called for young people to be given special consideration. The Queen gave a short speech during the ceremony. “The most important elements in sustainable development are the people and tomorrow’s leaders: young people. Let’s listen to them, to their concerns, their expectations and aspirations. Their contribution and commitment are essential for a sustainable future”.
The organisers highlighted the Belgians’ Queen’s commitment to the fight against poverty, to education, healthcare and to women and children’s rights.
The work done by the Queen Mathilde Fund and her role as the Honorary President of UNICEF Belgium were also mentioned. She also makes sustainable development visible within the United Nations. Her Majesty is an UN Development Goals advocate.
German Sustainability Award was established in 2008 to encourage the acceptance of social and ecological responsibility and to identify role models in this area. It is backed up by the German Federal Government albeit granted by the foundation “Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis e.V.”. The NRW Premier Armin Laschet was present for the award ceremony.
