The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs Mary Robinson, has been awarded the Felix Houphouet Boigny peace prize for 2000.
Mrs Robinson was the unanimous choice of a jury chaired by former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger. The £96,000 prize is awarded annually by UNESCO to individuals or organisations making significant contributions to the cause of peace.
Another jury member, the former Portuguese president Mario Soares, said Mrs Robinson had been chosen for "the ensemble of her activity". He added: "She has carried out remarkable work in difficult situations and has travelled the world for the cause of human rights, which is essential to peace."
The HouphouetBoigny prize is named after the first president of Cote d'Ivoire. Past winners include Senator George Mitchell and former US president Jimmy Carter.