Viasna among five winners of UN Human Rights Prize in 2023
The President of the General Assembly Csaba Kőrösi on Thursday announced the winners of the prestigious United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights for 2023. This year’s winners were the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, based in Belarus, Julienne Lusenge from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Amman Center for Human Rights Studies from Jordan, Julio Pereyra from Uruguay and the Global Coalition of civil society organizations, Indigenous Peoples, social movements and local communities.
“The winners’ dedication speaks to the universal nature of human rights at a critical time,” said Mr. Kőrösi. “The Prize sends a clear message to human rights defenders all over the world that the international community is grateful for, and supports, their efforts to promote all human rights for all.”
The members of the Special Committee conveyed their admiration for all civil society actors who with their work contribute tothe promotion, protection, and advancement of human rights.
They also acknowledged the important role played by human rights defenders and activists, praising them for their courage and dedication while strongly condemning any attempts to “silence and intimidate” them.
They expressed solidarity with those who are detained in retaliation for their work in defending human rights and pursuing the implementation of all the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, marking it’s 75th birthday this year.
Established by the General Assembly in 1966, the Prize was awarded for the first time in 1968 on what is now Human Rights Day, 10 December, and it is awarded every five years for achievements in the field of human rights. Previous recipients have included Jimmy Carter, Nelson Mandela, Dr. Denis Mukwege, Eleanor Roosevelt, Malala Yusafzai, and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
