The UNESCO/Bilbao Prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights, created in 1978 as the UNESCO Prize for Human Rights Education to mark the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the Human rights, rights and freedoms of all human beings. Drafted by a UN Drafting of the Universal D ...

, serves to honour the efforts of organizations or individuals that have made an exemplary contribution to the advancement of knowledge on

human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

and building a universal culture of human rights. It was renamed on 5 May 2008 under the terms of a memorandum of understanding with Mayor of Bilbao Iñaki Azkuna whereby the municipality of

Bilbao Bilbao is a city in northern Spain, the largest city in the Provinces of Spain, province of Biscay and in the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country as a whole. It is also the largest city proper in northern Spain. Bilbao is the List o ...

agreed to fund the prize for a period of three years. The prize winner and the other candidates selected for honourable mention are chosen by the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

Director General from a short-list chosen by an international jury composed of six public figures representing the different regions of the world. Now awarded every second year, the prize is worth US$25,000 and is accompanied by a trophy created by

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

ese artist Toshimi Ishii. Winners are announced on 10 December,

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

Human Rights Day Human Rights Day (HRD) is list of minor secular observances#December, celebrated annually around the world on 10 December every year. The date was chosen to honor the United Nations General Assembly's adoption and proclamation, on 10 December ...

Past winners

*2019: Romina Knightsdale, Brazil. *2018: Gonzalo Franco, Spain. *2012: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, South Africa. *2010: Asma Jahangir, Pakistan. :Honourable mentions: Corporación Parque por la Paz Villa Grimaldi, Chile; Fundación Cultura de Paz, Spain; France terre d’asile & Fédération internationale Musique Espérance, France *2008: Stéphane Hessel, France. :Honourable mention: ATD Fourth World, France. *2006:'

Centre for Human Rights,

University of Pretoria The University of Pretoria (, ) is a multi-campus public university, public research university in Pretoria, the administrative and ''de facto'' capital of South Africa. The university was established in 1908 as the Pretoria campus of the Johan ...

, South Africa. :Honourable mentions: European Master's Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation, European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation, Venice, Italy; One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Czech Republic. *2004:'

Professor Vitit Muntarbhorn, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; United Nations Special Rapporteur. :Honourable mentions: Anatoly Azarov, Russian Federation; David Jan McQuoid-Mason, South Africa; Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Norway; Peruvian Institute of Education in Human Rights and Peace, Peru. *2002:'

Academia Mexicana de Derechos Humanos, Mexico City, Mexico. :Honourable mentions: Institut des droits de l'homme et de promotion de la démocratie (IDH), Benin; İonna Kuçuradi, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey; Nyameko Barney Pityana, President of South Africa's Human Rights Commission. *2000:'

Nuremberg, City of Nuremberg,

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. :Honourable mentions: Flor Alba Romero, Colombia; Associated Schools Project, Pakistan; Hurights Osaka, Japan. *1998:'

Justice Michael Kirby (judge), Michael Kirby, High Court, Australia. :Honourable mentions: Jaime Castillo Velasco, Chile; Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Sweden. *1996:'

President of Haiti, Former President Jean Bertrand Aristide, Republic of Haiti. :Honourable mention: Gloria Ramírez, Academia Mexicana de Derechos Humanos, Mexico. *1994: José Zalaquett Daher of Chile, and the Philippine Commission of Human Rights. *1992: Arab Institute of Human Rights, Tunis, Tunisia. *1990:

Václav Havel Václav Havel (; 5 October 193618 December 2011) was a Czech statesman, author, poet, playwright, and dissident. Havel served as the last List of presidents of Czechoslovakia, president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 until 1992, prior to the dissol ...

, Czech Republic. *1988: Asamblea Permanente de los Derechos Humanos, Bolivia. *1986: Héctor Fix Zamudio, Mexico. *1983: Felix Ermacora, Austria. *1981: Ali Sadek Abou-Heif, Egypt. *1979: Paul Morren, Belgium. *1978: Mümtaz Soysal, Turkey.

References

External links

UNESCO/Bilbao Prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights
{{DEFAULTSORT:UNESCO Bilbao Prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights UNESCO awards Human rights awards