"We can do it": Merkel receives UNESCO Peace Prize for taking in refugees

For her great commitment to the refugee crisis, former Chancellor Angela Merkel has been awarded the Peace Prize by the UN cultural organization Unesco.

"The entire jury was touched by her courageous decision in 2015 to take in more than 1.2 million refugees, particularly from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Eritrea," said jury president and 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege on Tuesday Paris.

"It's a lesson she leaves to history."

UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay also paid tribute to Merkel's commitment.

"Peacemaking is also about opening doors for those who are suffering," she explained.

"The jury's decision is a reminder that welcoming migrants and refugees is a key concern."

The award is named after the former head of state of Ivory Coast, Félix Houphouët-Boigny.

The Peace Prize has been awarded every year since 1989 to people, organizations or institutions that have made special efforts to promote, research or secure peace.

It is not yet clear when the prize will be awarded to Merkel.