NEW YORK – The Atlantic Council is pleased to announce the honorees of its annual Global Citizen Awards taking place Sunday, September 21 in New York City: President of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto; President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko; former President of Israel Shimon Peres; former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew; Actor, director, producer Robert De Niro; and pianist, composer, humanitarian Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner.

“Our honorees embody in dynamic and diverse ways what it means to be a global citizen,” said Frederick Kempe, Atlantic Council president and CEO. “In their impressive careers, all have emphasized the need for a common community of values to advance peace, prosperity, human rights, and cultural understanding.”

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto will be recognized for his extraordinary leadership in creating a governing mandate, known as the ‘Pacto por Mexico,’ and in less than two years securing profound, far-reaching reforms, from education to labor to telecommunications to energy. President Peña Nieto’s sweeping reforms have already recast Mexico’s image as a global innovator.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who will accept his award in Washington, DC on September 18, will be recognized for his steadfast commitment to a free and democratic Ukraine. Since taking office in May, he has coordinated military operations to end the armed Russian insurgency in Ukraine’s East and signed the Ukraine-European Union Association Agreement to more fully integrate his country with Europe.

Former Prime Minister of Israel Shimon Peres will receive an award for his political career spanning nearly seven decades, including two terms as prime minister, service in twelve government cabinets, and countless other accomplishments. A longtime advocate of peace between Israel and Palestine, Mr. Peres received the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in negotiating the Oslo Accords. World Economic Forum Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab will present this award.

Former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew will be recognized for his more than fifty years of ministerial service, including three decades as prime minister, ranking him among history’s longest-serving and most successful leaders. He is widely regarded as the founding father of modern Singapore, shepherding his country through a difficult independence and transforming it into one of the freest, most robust economies in Asia. Singapore’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Law K Shanmugan will accept the award, which will be presented by Atlantic Council Chairman Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr.

Actor, director, producer Robert De Niro will be honored for making an indelible impact as one of the greatest American actors in history, challenging people around the world to explore the human condition through an authentic portrayal of his characters. He will be recognized for his many philanthropic causes, ranging from his support for young artists and the Tribeca Film Festival to aid for HIV/AIDS prevention and disaster relief. He will be introduced by musician Quincy Jones.

Seventeen-year-old pianist, composer, humanitarian Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner will receive the Young Global Citizen Award for his promotion of social action through music. He was has been honored by CNN International as a “Connector of the Day” for his humanitarian activities and was the first American soloist to perform with the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra in Baghdad. Adrienne Arsht, philanthropist and founder of the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, will present this award and Sanchez-Werner will perform.

Former United States Secretary of State and Nobel Peace Prize Recipient Henry Kissinger will provide opening remarks.

Each year in New York City, the Atlantic Council’s Global Citizen Awards dinner convenes an influential audience of some 350 top global government, business, military, media, and civil society leaders. Previous awardees have included Nobel Peace Prize laureates Henry Kissinger and Aung San Suu Kyi; Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; President of Poland BronisławKomorowski; IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde; US Secretary of State John Kerry; Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri (posthumously); the musician and philanthropist Quincy Jones; and World Economic Forum Founder Klaus Schwab.

This event is on-the-record and open to press coverage. To request accreditation or for additional details, please contact us at press@AtlanticCouncil.org by Thursday, September 18. Location and timing details will be provided upon confirmation of accreditation.

Follow @AtlanticCouncil and use #ACAwards for LIVE updates from the Global Citizen Awards.