2018 United Nations Human Rights Prize call for nominations

The 2018 United Nations Human Rights Prize will be given out at the United Nations in New York on Human Right Day, 10 December. Nominations are open until 22 April 2018

This year’s award will coincide with the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The prize to recognize individuals or organization for outstanding achievements in the field of human rights is given out every five years.

It was last awarded in 2013. The winners were Mr. Biram Dah Abeid of Mauritania for his fight against slavery; Ms. Hiljmnijeta Apuk of Kosovo* for her campaign for the rights of people of disproportionately short stature; Ms. Liisa Kauppinen of Finland for her fight for the rights of the deaf; Ms. Khadija Ryadi of Morocco for championing a variety of human rights causes; the Supreme Court of Justice of Mexico for its role in the constitutional protection of the human rights of Mexicans; and Ms. Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan for championing, at considerable risk, girls’ right to education.

The United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights is an honorary award given to individuals and organizations in recognition of outstanding achievement in human rights. The Prize was established by the General Assembly in 1966 and was awarded for the first time on 10 December 1968, the twentieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Prize has since been awarded in 1973, 1978, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2013.

The Prize is an opportunity not only to give public recognition to the achievements of the recipients themselves, but also to send a clear message to human rights defenders the world over that the international community is grateful for, and supports, their tireless efforts to promote all human rights for all. 

How are the winners of the Prize chosen? 

An important feature of the Prize is that nominations can be received from a broad variety of sources: “Member States, specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations in consultative status and from other appropriate sources.” 

Once nominations have been received by the UN Human Rights Office, a consolidated list is presented to a committee that selects the winners. The five members of this committee are: the President of the General Assembly; the President of the Economic and Social Council; the President of the Human Rights Council; the Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women; and the Chair of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee. 

Nominations for the 2018 Prize 

The UN Human Rights Office has already sent written requests for nominations to Member States, UN programmes and agencies, non-governmental organizations and the national human rights institutions.

Nominations may be made by submitting the online nomination form with basic identifying information about the nominee and the reasons for making the nomination.

Hard copies can, alternatively, be sent by post to: Human Rights Prize, OHCHR New York Office, Room S-1306, United Nations, New York, NY 10017. A printable form for submitting a nomination by post is available for download here.

The deadline for submission of nominations is 22 April 2018, 23:59 hours Eastern Standard Time.

* Reference to Kosovo should be understood in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo

14 March 2018