Congratulations have been flooding in for Kiwi paediatrician, Dr. Ian Hassall, who has been honoured with a prestigious international award

Dr. Hassall received the UN Children’s Fund Aldo Farina Award in Seoul on Sunday 9 May. The award recognizes sustained contribution to child rights advocacy. It is open to all 194 countries in which UNICEF operates and is awarded only every second year. Read the full story - Read Dr Hassall's Acceptance Speech.

Here is a sampling of comments from New Zealand-based child-focused agencies on the award.

Dr John Angus, Children’s Commissioner
Ian what a wonderful and well-deserved honour. I congratulate you and salute you.

Dr Cindy Kiro, former Children’s Commissioner
Fabulous news: well deserved by Ian.

Deborah Morris-Travers, Advocacy Manager, Barnardos NZ
Superb news in recognition of Ian's fabulous contribution to the status and well-being of children. Thanks UNICEF!

Liz Kinley, Chief Executive, JIGSAW
This is wonderful news Ian – congratulations! You are an enormously worthy recipient and as New Zealanders we’ll all feel very proud by association!

Dr. Emma Davies. Programme Leader, Children & Families Institute of Public Policy, Auckland University of Technology
This is fantastic news!! Mazeltov - congratulations Ian. I can't think of anyone more deserving of this honour!

Beth Wood, Children’s Advocate
Great news. This is well deserved.

Kim van Duiven, Executive Director, Brainwave Trust Aotearoa
Congratulations Ian. Brainwave Trust is immensely proud of all of your efforts and continued support for our organization, as well as your outstanding service to New Zealand’s children. This is a well-deserved honour.

Dame Lesley Max, CEO, Great Potentials
What a joy to see this recognition for Ian. No one has been more stalwart, more effective, more supportive collegially, better informed by both clinical practice and research and no one I know can combine truth to his purpose with cordiality to all, as Ian has, over decades.

Dr Kim McGregor, Director, Rape Prevention Education Whakatu Mauri Auckland
Congratulations Ian. Very pleased for you. You certainly deserve such recognition for your long years of lobbying for children's issues.

Alison J Blaiklock, Executive Director, Health Promotion Forum of New Zealand
Ian that is absolutely fantastic and extraordinarily well deserved! Congratulations!

Peter Shuttleworth, Association of Children and Youth Aotearoa
Wonderful news and well deserved.

Jane Drumm, Executive Director, SHINE, Auckland
This is well-deserved and all of us here are so proud of you and so proud and honoured that you gave us your time and wisdom when you worked with us a few years back. We are also so grateful for the ongoing friendship and practical support and advice you have continued to give us. You are a very special person and your tireless, persistent enthusiasm in combination with your huge intellect has contributed so much to making children’s issues visible, talked about and improved. Thank you for all that you have done.

Ann Weaver, Safekids New Zealand
Congratulations and well-deserved.