MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Hollande stressed on Thursday that this award showed French approval of Ban’s activities as the UN head, in particular, his contribution to the achievement of agreements aimed at combating climate change, the UN official website said.
The French president also highlighted Ban’s efforts to maintain peace and promote dialogue between nations.
Ban said while receiving the award that Hollande awarded not only him personally, but the United Nations, and said he felt "deeply honored and proud."
The awarding ceremony took place as the 22nd Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), or COP22, is underway in Morocco's Marrakech.
Ban has been UN Secretary General for 10 years. On January 1, he will be replaced by Portugal's former Prime Minister Antonio Guterres.
