UN Human Rights Prize 2013 awarded

Pakistani human rights activist Malala Yousafzai [List of Awards won by Malala]continues her award-winning spree by bagging another honour namely 'UN Human Rights Prize for the year 2013. The honorary award, given every five years to both individuals and organizations recognizing their significant achievement in the field of human rights, has been conferred this year on five individuals and one organization.

List of Awardees:

Mr. Biram Dah Abeid (Mauritania)

• Mr. Abeid, himself the son of freed-slaves, has been honoured for his unabated engagement in the advocacy campaign to eradicate slavery.

Ms. Hiljmnijeta Apuk (Kosovo) 

• Hiljmnijeta Apuk has been an activist for the rights of the persons with disabilities for over 30 years.
• She has especially been recognized for his work on rights of people with disproportional restricted growth (short stature).

Ms. Liisa Kauppinen (Finland) 

• For her immense work on human rights of deaf people since 1970. 

Ms. Khadija Ryadi (Morroco) 

• For her contribution to Human Rights.

Supreme Court of Justice of Mexico (Mexico’s Constitutional Court)

• For ensuring legal protections for constitutional rights of people of Mexico.

Malala Yousafzai (Pakistan)

• For her courageous campaign advocating for education and women’s rights against all odds.
• She captured the attention of the world when she survived assassination attempt made by Taliban in October 2012 in retaliation for her aforementioned campaign. 

About the Prize:

• The Prize was established by the General Assembly in 1966 and was awarded for the first time on 10 December 1968, the twentieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• The award is given by the Office of the High Commissioner for the Human Rights (OHCHR)
• This year award ceremony (on Dec 10) commemorates the 20th anniversary of the creation of OHCHR and the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.
• It generally takes place on December 10 (International Human Rights Day).

OHCHR:

• Its part of the United Nations Secretariat with its headquarters in Geneva (Switzerland)
• It spearheads the United Nations' human rights efforts in the world.
• The High Commissioner for Human Rights is the principal human rights official of the United Nations.

Notable Winners: 

• International Committee of the Red Cross
• Amnesty International
• Martin Luther King 
• Nelson Mandela

India at the Awards:

• Baba Amte is the sole Indian to win this honour in 1988.