Rights Prize deadline extended

The closing date for receipt of nominations for the 2008 United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights has been extended to 31 July.

The prize is awarded to individuals or organizations once every five years for “outstanding achievements in the field of human rights.” It was first given out 40 years ago on the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Winners of the prize include Nelson Mandela and former United States President Jimmy Carter. Eleanor Roosevelt, who played a key role in creating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and legendary civil rights leader Martin Luther King were both honoured posthumously.

So was former High Commissioner for Human Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello, who received the award four months after he was killed along with 21 others in the 2003 Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad.

Organizations that have won the prize include Amnesty International, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Mano River Women’s Peace Network in West Africa.

The 2008 Prize will be awarded at an event at UN Headquarters in New York on 10 December 2008, Human Rights Day, which is also the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

More detailed information on eligibility and the procedures for nominations can be found at: 2008 United Nations Human Rights Prize.