Call for Nominations: EU Human Rights Defenders’ Award 2019
On March 6, 2019, the European Union Delegation in Uganda, together with the European Union Member States and the Embassy of Norway, opened a call for nominations of human rights defenders (HRDs) who have made an outstanding contribution to human rights in Uganda over the past year.
Remarking on the opening of nominations, EU Ambassador to Uganda, H.E Attilio Pacifici said: “This award, which is now in its eighth year, is an important moment to reward the work being done by courageous and selfless individuals in Uganda. We have had impressive winners in previous years and I have no doubt that the standard will continue to be high this year.”
Individuals and organisations are invited to submit their nominations by downloading the nomination form below:
Who can be nominated?
Nominations for Human Rights Defenders operating in all parts of Uganda are welcome. Human Rights Defenders are people who promote and protect universally recognised human rights and fundamental freedoms. These include civil and political rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights. Human Rights Defenders also promote and protect the rights of members of minority groups. The broad range of activities carried out by Human Rights Defenders can include the following:
- documenting and reporting human rights violations;
- seeking remedies for victims of human rights violations through the provision of legal, psychological, medical or other support;
- combating the culture of impunity which can hide systematic and repeated breaches of human rights and fundamental freedoms;
- mainstreaming a human rights culture, and transmitting information about HRDs at the national, regional and international levels;
- advocacy for the respect of human rights.
Candidates will be assessed by a jury composed of human rights experts of different European Embassies and the EU and Norwegian Heads of Mission. A list of shortlisted candidates will be made public in mid-April, with the winner to be announced during a ceremony at a ceremony hosted by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in May 2019.