Four human rights champions
honoured with top UN rights award
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| Winners of 2018 United Nations human rights prize at a panel discussion. |
The United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights is
awarded every 5 years to organizations and individuals in the forefront of
defending human rights.
By Robin Gomes
Pakistan’s fearless human rights activist and lawyer,
late Asma Jahangir was posthumously awarded the 2018
United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights, along with 3 others at a
ceremony at the UN on Tuesday.
They are Rebeca Gyumi of Tanzania, an
activist for women’s and girls’ rights, Joênia Wapichana of
Brazil who fights for the rights of indigenous communities, and Front
Line Defenders, an Irish organization that fights for the protection of
human rights defenders.
Every five years, the UN human rights prize is awarded to
organizations and individuals which embody excellent activism in the defence of
human rights.
This year’s winners were announced earlier on 25 October.
As part of the UN’s activities in observance of Human Rights
Day on Dec. 10, which this year coincided with the 70th anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the human rights champions from across
the world were honoured at the General Assembly Hall on Dec. 18.
UN chief
Speaking at the event, UN Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres said that the work of the winners and of other human rights
defenders around the world is essential for the collective efforts to
sustain peace and ensure inclusive sustainable
development and respect for human rights for all.
He said human rights defenders give voice to the
voiceless and shield the powerless against injustice.
They work to empower people through education, and help to
protect other human rights defenders from harassment, intimidation or arrest,
Guterres added.
Jehangir
Jahangir who died of cardiac arrest on Feb. 11 at the age of
66, was represented by her daughter Munizae at the awards ceremony.
Munizae said she was sure her mother who also fought religious extremism and
for the rights of oppressed minorities, would have liked to share her award
with human rights defenders across the world and with the women of Pakistan
whom she spent a lifetime defending.
The four winners join a small but notable group who have
been recognized since the prize was established by the General Assembly in
1966. Among them are figures such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King,
Nelson Mandela, Jimmy Carter, Malala Yusafzai, this year's Nobel Peace Prize
winners, Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad, and organizations such as Amnesty
International and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
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