Established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, the “Emilio F. Mignone International Human Rights Prize” grants recognition to foreign institutions and/or individuals residing abroad that are making or have made an outstanding contribution towards the promotion and/or protection of human rights in their own countries in the fight against impunity in cases involving systematic violations of human rights, discrimination and social, economic and cultural rights, among other areas. Although other countries award human rights distinctions, the Mignone prize is the first one to be awarded by a developing country that has been conspicuous in this field because of its own historical and political context.
The Prize is formally awarded at a ceremony presided by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, and attended by Argentine Government officials. To this end, the winner of the prize or a representative of the chosen organization will be invited to visit the country for a week (economy class ticket, accommodation and per diem included). During the visit, the winner will be invited to disseminate experiences in a number of activities and conferences organized by CELS and academic institutions and to hold meetings with NGO´s, human rights entities, parliamentary human rights committees, national authorities and the press.
Procedure for nomination and selection of candidates
Argentine Embassies and Consular Offices throughout the world propose candidates based on information gathered and on consultations with the main local human rights organizations. National or foreign non governmental human rights organizations and international organizations may also make nominations.
All nominations must indicate:
- country of residence or seat of the proposed foreign individual or organization;
- name of the nominated organization or individual;
- if an organization, name of the main representative and of the board, executive committee or council members;
contact details (address, phone number, e-mail); - grounds for the candidacy including: historical summary, objectives and background of the candidate (three A4 size pages maximum length).
- Any additional information deemed relevant to the consideration of the candidacy may be included as an annex.
Candidates and proposals (with supporting documentation) must be sent by July 15 to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship. For more information, visit this link.
