North-South Prize

The North-South Prize is awarded annually by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe to two public figures who are recognised for their deep commitment, outstanding achievements and hope they have generated in the field of protection of human rights, the defence of pluralist democracy and North-South partnership and solidarity. The prize originated in 1995 and it is sometimes known as the Lisbon North-South Prize.

Call for candidates and selection

The "quadrilogue" (made up of governments, members of parliament, local and regional authorities, and non-governmental organisations from civil society) involved in overseeing the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe, along with media representatives and international and regional government organisations, are urged to name individuals or an organisation whose activities are considered worthy of distinction.The call for candidates is made on its website and its Newsletters. The Centre's partners are similarly asked to inform their respective media organs. The file is sent for review to each member of the jury. After studying the files, the North-South Prize Jury makes a final decision on the candidates.

Candidate selection criteria

The Prize is awarded to a candidate from the North and one from the South (preferably to a man and a woman). Candidates should be recognised within the following fields of action: human rights protection, defence of pluralist democracy, promotion of public awareness about issues concerning global solidarity and interdependence, and reinforcement of the North-South partnership. Candidates may be nominated for their achievements within the cultural, institutional and political fields.

North-South Prize Jury

The North-South Prize Jury is composed of the Members of the Bureau of the North-South Centre and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, under the presidency of the Chairman of the Executive Council of the North-South Centre. The Jury is helped in its task by the Secretariat of the North-South Centre.

The Prize

The prize is honorific.

The Winners

* 2007 Kofi Annan and Simone Veil
* 2006 Mukhtaran Bibi and Francisco Van Der Hoff
* 2005 Bogaletch Gebre and Bob Geldof
* 2004 Nawal El Saadawi and Stéphane Hessel
* 2003 Frene Ginwala and António de Almeida Santos
* 2002 Albina du Boisrouvray and Xanana Gusmão
* 2001 Maria de Nazaré Gadelha Ferreira Fernandes and Cornelio Sommaruga
* 2000 Marguerite Barankitse and Mário Soares
* 1999 Emma Bonino and Abderrahmane Youssoufi
* 1998 Graça Machel and Lloyd Axworthy
* 1997 Mary Robinson and Patricio Aylwin
* 1996 Danielle Mitterrand and "Algerian women"
* 1995 Peter Gabriel and Vera Duarte

External links

* [http://www.coe.int/t/e/north-south_centre/programmes/7_North-South_Prize/default.asp#TopOfPage North-South Prize of the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe]
* [http://www.nscentre.org North-South Centre of the Council of Europe]
* [http://www.coe.int/t/e/north-south_centre/programmes/7_north-south_prize/publications.asp#TopOfPage Publications of the North-South Prize Award Ceremony]