The 2026 ICIP Peacebuilding Prize recognizes the women of Casamance

The Governing Board of the Catalan International Institute for Peace (ICIP) has awarded the 2026 ICIP “Peacebuilding” Award to the Senegalese entity Femmes Pour la Paix en Casamance (PFPC). The verdict, issued by the jury on May 12, 2026, was made public through Resolution UEX/3136/2026, dated July 12, published in the Official Gazette of the Generalitat de Catalunya (DOGC) no. 9747 of September 8, 2026, with official reference CVE-DOGC-A-26232011-2026.

A fifteenth edition with international recognition

The call for the fifteenth edition of the award was agreed upon on November 4, 2025, and published via Resolution UEX/4877/2025, dated December 22 (DOGC no. 9582 of January 14, 2026). The competition is governed by the regulatory bases approved by Resolution EXT/3649/2022, dated November 17.

In accordance with the eighth and ninth regulatory bases, the jury —composed of the members of the ICIP Governing Board— met on May 12, 2026, and issued the verdict, which recognizes the trajectory of the winning entity in the construction and promotion of peace.

The jury’s evaluation criteria

To decide the winning candidacy, the jury applied the following criteria:

• Merits based on the documentation submitted and additional information gathered by the ICIP.
• Prolonged involvement and firm commitment to the construction and promotion of peace on an international, national, or local scale.
• The pertinence and relevance of the actions in promoting the values of the call.
• The impact and influence of the trajectory on society, communities, or individuals.
• The recognized prestige of the persons or entities presenting or endorsing the candidacy.

After evaluating the various candidacies submitted, the jury decided to award the prize to Femmes Pour la Paix en Casamance (PFPC) from Senegal, an entity that works for peace in the Casamance region.

Publication and appeals

The second section of the tenth regulatory base provides for the publication of the verdict in the DOGC, which is incorporated as an annex to the Resolution. The resolution, signed by the president of the ICIP, Xavier Masllorens i Escubós, publicizes the agreement of the Governing Board.

Against the agreement, which exhausts the administrative route, interested parties may file:

• An optional appeal for reversal (recurso de reposición) before the same body within one month of publication.
• A contentious-administrative appeal before the contentious-administrative courts of Barcelona within two months.

A recognition with resonance for Catalan civil society

The award consolidates the ICIP paper as a bridge between Catalan civil society and peace initiatives around the world. The recognition of the women of Casamance highlights female leadership in reconciliation processes and opens a window of interest for Catalan entities working for peace and international cooperation.

Source: Official Gazette of the Generalitat de Catalunya, no. 9747, September 8, 2026, Announcements section (official reference: CVE-DOGC-A-26232011-2026).