A campaigner against institutional abuse is to be granted the Freedom of Derry City and Strabane despite unionist opposition.
The motion to give Jon McCourt the highest honour was passed by the council in July. Unionist councillors on Derry City and Strabane District Council asked for the decision to be reviewed.
A former Official IRA member who turned down an MBE, Mr McCourt will be honoured with the freedom of the city following a fresh vote, with 30 representatives voting for, five against and two abstaining.
Mr McCourt told BBC Radio Foyle's on Friday "It would have meant a lot more to me if it had of come with the full support of every member of council."
"The unionist delegation, the UUP and the DUP, said their argument was against the process and not me specifically, which I accept."
On his involvement with the Official IRA, Mr McCourt said "this was a very long time ago" and that he was "a young man who made a decision about the things happening around me".
He accepted the position if that was the reason for people objecting to him receiving the freedom of the city.
Mr McCourt is a founding member of Survivors North West. He spoke out about his experience at at St Joseph's Boys' Home in Termonbacca in Derry. He is also a member of the Peace and Reconciliation Group in Derry.
DUP and UUP councillors abstained from the original vote to confer the honour on Mr McCourt. At a council meeting in August DUP and UUP councillors said they "called-in" the proposal, allowing it to be delayedfor further consideration.
DUP councillor Niree McMorris said the party felt "further discussion was needed to make an informed decision".
"This wasn't anything personal about Jon McCourt or anybody else whose name may, or will be in the future put forward," she said, as reported by the BBC.
On turning down the MBE, Mr McCourt said he had watched friends die on Bloody Sunday and that it would be "morally wrong" for him to receive the same honour "as one of the soldiers who was involved in that".
