Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
NATO headquarters in Brussels announced today, Friday, that the Secretary General of the Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg
The Sønsteby Prize, awarded annually by the Gunnar Sønsteby Memorial Fund to “courageous defenders of fundamental democratic values,” is a recognition of the Secretary-General's commitment and leadership, the alliance said in a statement.
The Gunnar Sønsteby Prize has been awarded annually in Norway since 2015 to individuals who are courageous defenders of fundamental democratic values. It was awarded by the Gunnar Sønsteby Memorial Fund, which was established in 2013 with the aim of honoring the life of Norwegian resistance hero Gunnar Sønsteby in World War II.

And half a year before Sønsteby's death on 10 May 2012, the idea of a Gunnar Sønsteby memorial fund was discussed. The fund became a reality in the fall of 2013. The seed capital for the award was provided by several parties.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed the importance of supporting Ukraine, including with more weapons, in a speech to the Annual Conference of the Norwegian Confederation of Enterprises in Oslo on Thursday (5 January 2023).
“Weapons are – in fact – the way to peace”, said Mr. Stoltenberg, adding: "there will be no lasting peace if oppression and tyranny win over freedom and democracy”. He stressed the need for Allies to invest more in defence, eliminate dependencies on authoritarian regimes, and to stand together to uphold freedom and democracy.