President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been awarded the 2008 Félix Houphouët-Boigny Prize for his activities in support of world peace. The event was held at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris.

Created 20 years ago, the Félix Houphouët-Boigny prize has previously been awarded to Nelson Mandela, Yitzhak Rabin, Yasser Arafat and Martti Ahtisaari, all of whom have also won the Nobel Peace Prize. According to the organizers, Lula was chosen for his work in pursuit of peace, dialogue, democracy, social justice and equal rights, and his contribution to the eradication of poverty and protection of the rights of minorities. "I feel honored to share this distinction with men and women who dedicated their lives for peace and a fairer world," the President said.

In Paris, Lula endorsed the promotion of a culture of peace, with investment in education, income distribution and social inclusion. He also reinforced his commitment to the candidacy of Rio de Janeiro to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. "The Olympic Games serve to spread the practice of sports, but also encourage the development of a country, a region. Rio de Janeiro deserves the opportunity to organize this event. Of the ten largest economies in the world, Brazil is the only one that has never received the Olympic Games,“ said Lula.