Deadline: 30 April 2019
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), in partnership with the Vaclav Havel Library and the Charta 77 Foundation has announced a call for nominations for the 2019 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize.
The Václav Havel Human Rights Prize is awarded each year by the PACE in partnership with the Václav Havel Library and the Charta 77 Foundation to reward outstanding civil society action in the defence of human rights in Europe and beyond.
The Prize, created in 2013, aims to reward outstanding civil society action in defending human rights in Europe and beyond. Candidates should have made a real difference to the human rights situation of a given group, been instrumental in uncovering large-scale systemic violations, or have successfully mobilised public opinion or the international community for a cause.
Prize Information
The Prize will be awarded on 30 September 2019 in Strasbourg, consists of a sum of €60 000, a trophy and a diploma.
Eligibility Criteria
- Individuals or non-governmental institutions active in the defence of human rights can be nominated for the Prize.
- Nominations for the Prize should be addressed to the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly and be signed by at least five sponsors, other than the nominee, on the special form to be found at the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize website.
- Nominations shall provide details of the nominee’s work in the defence of human rights and specify the reasons why the nominee’s work can be considered to be outstanding. Relevant supporting documents should be provided. Nominations should be submitted in either of the two official languages of the Council of Europe, English or French.
Selection Panel
- The Selection Panel of the Prize is composed of the President of the Assembly (or a person designated by him/her) and six independent persons (who cannot be current members of the Assembly) with recognised moral standing in the field of human rights.
- The Panel will examine the nominations, submit a shortlist of three nominees to the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly for information and, subsequently, designate the Prizewinner for the year in question.
- Three Panel members are appointed by the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly and three Panel members by the Václav Havel Library and the Charta 77 Foundation. The six independent experts are appointed for a two-year period, renewable twice.
- The Panel is chaired by the President of the Assembly or the person designated by him/her.
How to Apply
- Nominations should be sent to the Parliamentary Assembly by e-mail using the form available on the Prize website.
- They should be signed by at least five sponsors and submitted in either English or French.
For more information, please visit http://website-pace.net/en_GB/web/apce/vaclav-havel-human-rights-prize