Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk

The annual Front Line Defenders Award was established in 2005 to honour the work of HRDs who are courageously making outstanding contributions to the promotion and protection of the human rights of others, at great personal risk to themselves. The Award focuses national and international attention on the HRDs work, providing them with a greater national and international platform to speak about and advocate for their work.

The nomination process is open for anyone to submit a nomination of a human rights defender, collective, organisation or community working on any human rights issue and facing significant risk due to their work or operating in an environment that itself is characterised as insecure. The purpose of the Award is to give visibility to HRDs who are not normally acknowledged or recognised at the international level. At the same time, the Award should not bring additional risk for which the HRD is not prepared.

For each region of the world (Africa; Americas; Asia-Pacific; Europe & Central Asia; and Middle East & North Africa) there will be one winner selected and Front Line Defenders will recognize all five as the 2024 Front Line Defenders Award Laureates.

Award Information

• a modest financial prize;
• a security grants to improve their security measures;
• collaboration with Front Line Defenders for media work in recognition of the Award;
• advocacy by Front Line Defenders related to the Award and the work of the winners;
• an event co-organized by the HRD, local partners and Front Line Defenders to give visibility to the Award in the winners’ countries (as determined and guided by the winners);
• the Global Laureates will attend a ceremony in Dublin at a date to be determined;
• ongoing security consultation with Front Line Defenders

Selection Criteria

• the nature of human rights defender’s work
• the impact of human rights defender’s work in advancing the rights of others
• the level of risk or negative consequences associated with human rights defender’s work
• the continued commitment to advancing human rights, despite high level risks
• the potential impact of receiving the Award on the human rights defender and their work.

For more information, visit Front Line Defenders.