The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought for 2003 has been awarded to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and all staff of the United Nations in special memory of Sergio Vieira de Mello and many other UN officials who lost their lives in carrying out their work for peace in the world.
The prize will be awarded to Kofi Annan on 29 January 2004 at a formal sitting during the UN Secretary General's visit to Parliament in Brussels.
The Sakharov Prize, named in honour of Andrei Sakharov, gives recognition to those who have fought for human rights and fundamental freedoms and against oppression and injustice.