Deadline: 31-Jul-22

Nominations are now open for the 2023 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders to honor individuals and organizations who have shown exceptional commitment to defending human rights, despite the risks involved.

The Martin Ennals Award (MEA) is an international Award given to human rights defenders in urgent need of protection. Many defenders who are nominated for the Award face serious risks – for example, they are in jail or at risk of detention; they have been prevented from carrying out their work by authorities or businesses, or they have disappeared. The Award seeks to protect these defenders by highlighting their work through the media and mobilizing international support for them. The presentation of the Award is accompanied by significant advocacy and outreach activities in favor of the human rights defenders concerned. The winners are also given a financial prize to use at their discretion.

The promotion and defense of human rights by activists plays a decisive role in many countries where they promote the search for justice, peace, and equity for all. The Martin Ennals Award aims to support the tireless struggles of these men and women.

The independent Martin Ennals Award Jury will select three winners – or Laureates – who will be announced publicly in early 2023.

Eligibility Criteria

• To qualify for the Award, the nominees must:
  • Be currently active in the promotion and protection of human rights
  • Not employ or advocate violence
  • Not be self-nominated
  • Be in need of protection
• Self-nominations for the MEA are not accepted. Human rights defenders or organizations can be nominated by a third party, as long as the motivation is substantiated and the candidate meets the MEA criteria, namely being a human rights defender at risk.
• Past Laureates include lawyers, journalists, civil society activists and even a Buddhist monk.
• Post-humous nominations are not eligible.

Criteria

In addition to the achievements of the candidate, several criteria are taken into consideration for the Award:

• Candidates must be currently active in the promotion and protection of human rights. The Award does not consider defenders who are deceased.
• The candidate should not employ or advocate violence.
• Self -nominations are not accepted.
• Defenders who are no longer in need of protection (e.g. because they are now in a safe environment) will normally not be considered.

For more information, visit https://www.martinennalsaward.org/call-for-nominations/