• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres presented the UN Prize in the Field of Human Rights for 2023.

• The UN Prize in the Field of Human Rights is an honorary award given to individuals and organisations 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 December 10, 1968, the 20th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

• Since then, it was awarded every five years, except for 1983.

• 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 of support to human rights defenders around the world. 

• This year, three groups and two individuals were selected for the Prize.

The groups are:

• Human Rights Center, “Viasna”, based in Belarus.

• The Amman Center for Human Rights Studies in Jordan.

• A global coalition of civil society organisations, indigenous peoples, social movements and local communities advocating for a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

• The individual winners are Julienne Lusenge Congo and Julio Pereyra of Uruguay.

• The recipients were selected from more than 400 nominations received by a  Special Committee of the UN General Assembly. 

How are the winners of the Prize chosen? 

Nominations can be made by Member States, specialised agencies and non-governmental organisations in consultative status and from other appropriate sources. 

The selection of the Prize recipients is conducted by a Special Committee comprised of five members: 

• 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

• The Chair of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee.

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