The SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, will join a list of historical figures when he is made a Freeman of the City of Derry at a ceremony in the Guildhall tonight. The event will be boycotted by the council's five DUP councillors.
The Nobel Peace Prize-winner will be the 41st recipient of the honour, which was initiated in 1690. The title, formerly known as Honorary Burgess of Londonderry, was awarded first in 1690, to the Duke of Schomberg who fought for King William in the Williamite Wars.
The last person to receive it was Winston Churchill in 1955. Other recipients over the last 300 years include the then prime minister, William Pitt, known as William Pitt the Younger, in 1786, Robert Peel, the founder of the English constabulary, in 1817, the Duke of York, also known as the Grand Old Duke, in 1825, and his successor, who later became King George VI and was made a freeman in 1924.
President Ulysses Grant was made a Freeman in 1879. Field Marshals Montgomery and Alexander received the award in 1945.
The Freedom of the City was last granted in 1963 to the Honourable The Irish Society which, under a charter of King James I, was ordered to build and maintain Derry's walls "to help control the local Irish rebels" in 1614.
The conferring ceremony in the Guildhall council chamber will be conducted by the SDLP Mayor of Derry, Mr Pat Ramsey, who, after introducing Mr Hume, will ask the acting town clerk, Mr Cathal Logue, to read the following from a scroll:
"This is to certify that on the lst of May, 2000, John Hume MP MEP MLA, historian, was elected and admitted as a Freeman of the City of Derry in recognition of the outstanding contribution made by him to the general betterment of the people of this island of Ireland and in particular the citizens of Derry, as a public representative for over 30 years, firstly as an MP at Westminster, then as a member of the European Parliament and latterly as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Northern Ireland, throughout all of which he represented his native city with distinction and established himself as one of Ireland's foremost statesmen."
Last night Mr Gregory Campbell, a DUP alderman, defended his party's decision to boycott the ceremony.
"The part John Hume played in the early part of the Troubles was based on him leading illegal demonstrations and protests which, over the years, culminated in a campaign of violence during which 12,000 of his fellow citizens, all of them unionists, had to leave their homes on the west bank of the city.
"As this happened, John Hume neither did nor said anything to stem that flow, nor was he supportive in any way.
"More recently he has presented himself as a reconciler and healer of divisions, but he is the leader of a political party which has exacerbated such divisions in Londonderry."
He added: "In terms of him bringing jobs and employment to Londonderry, just look at where the various inward investments have been located and that's proof that he primarily looks after his support base."