Call for Nominations: UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2023

About

UNESCO invites Member States to nominate candidates for UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2023, in consultation with their National Commissions, as well as international and regional professional non-governmental organizations in the field of journalism and press freedom.

The Prize is supported by the Guillermo Cano Isaza Foundation (Colombia), the Helsingin Sanomat Foundation (Finland), the Namibia Media Trust (Namibia), The Thomson Reuters Foundation (The United Kingdom) and Democracy & Media Foundation Stichting Democratie & Media (The Netherlands).

Purpose

• UNESCO established the World Press Freedom Prize in honor of Guillermo Cano, a Colombian journalist who died in the exercise of his profession. The purpose of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize is to reward each year a person, organization or institution that has made a notable contribution to the defense and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, especially if risks have been involved.

• The objective of the Prize is in conformity with UNESCO's policies and is related to the program of the Organization in the field of communication and information and, more specifically, to the priority given to promoting an enabling environment for freedom of expression and freedom of information.

Prize Details

• The Prize shall be funded by voluntary contributions from States, international agencies and organizations, as well as other entities and shall consist of recurrent payments to be deposited in a special account opened for that purpose in accordance with the Financial Regulations of UNESCO.

• The value of the Prize shall be determined by the Director-General in consultation with the donors on the basis of the contributions received, the interest on the sum deposited in the special account in accordance with the Financial Regulations of UNESCO, and the charges to be borne by the account for the cost of administering the Prize

• The prize also consists of a certificate and an object symbolizing the award and granted to the prize winner.

• The laureate of this year's prize will receive US $25,000 and a medal at a ceremony scheduled to take place on World Press Freedom Day on 3 May 2023.

Eligibility

• Candidates shall have made a significant contribution to press freedom anywhere in the world representing all types of media including digital media. Prizes may be conferred upon individuals, institutions, other entities or non-governmental organizations.

• The prize winner shall be selected by the Director-General of UNESCO on the basis of the assessments and recommendations made to him/her by a jury.

• Nominations shall be submitted to the Director-General by the governments of Member States, in consultation with their National Commissions, and by international and regional professional and non-governmental organizations active in the field of journalism and freedom of expression. A self-nomination cannot be considered.

• Each nomination shall be accompanied by a written recommendation, which shall include, in English or French, inter alia:

  • a description of the candidate’s background and achievements;

  • the candidate's contributions of major importance to the promotion of freedom of the press, submitted to the Jury for consideration;

Post Date: 03-Jan-2023