Alain Jocard / AFP | François Hollande at the United Nations in New York on Septembre 27, 2015.

French President François Hollande is to be honoured as the International Statesman of the Year by a New York-based interfaith foundation, The Appeal of Conscience.

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The foundation said in a statement that the prize honours “individuals who support peace, prosperity, liberty and promote tolerance, human dignity and human rights, both in their own countries and internationally through cooperation with other leaders”.

The 2015 prize was awarded to British Prime Minister David Cameron and in 2014 was won by Mexican President Peña Nieto.

The 2013 award for Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was highly controversial since he has been criticised for failing to protect religious minorities in the world's largest Muslim-majority country. He has also been accused of masterminding a genocide in West Papua.

The Jakarta Post in 2013 quoted the Setara Institute rights group saying the award was merely a PR mounted by Yudhoyono's aides.

'Some members of his clique approached the Appeal of Conscience Foundation regarding the award as part of a campaign to boost the president's image in the global community,” Sentara told the newspaper.

The 2012 award was given to Canada’s conservative former prime minister Steven Harper. Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was awarded the prize in 2008.

Appeal of Conscience was founded in 1965 by Rabbi Arthur Schneier, who will present Hollande with the award on September 19 at the famed Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York.



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