Today the ICJ has been awarded the UN Human Rights Prize. This prestigious award is granted by the UN every five years.
The Selection Committee was composed of the President of the General Assembly, the Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights, the Chairman of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities and the Chairperson of the Commission on the Status of Women and other officials. Past recipients include U Thant, Nelson Mandela and the ICRC.
On this occasion, the ICJ Secretary General, Mr. Adama Dieng, said that the ICJ is honoured by the recognition given to its work. Recently, the ICJ promotional work focused upon the establishment of a permanent International Penal Court as a means to put an end to the impunity of war criminals and persons committing gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. The ICJ is active in lobbying for better implementation of international mechanisms for human rights and organizes workshops and seminars as well as fact-finding missions and studies on human rights in all regions of the world. These activities are directed to formulating specific proposals for the furtherance of human rights including economic, social and cultural rights. Recent, present and forthcoming activities include: conducting two Training Courses in Bolivia, one on International Protection of Human Rights and the other on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (11/93), organizing a Workshop on NGO Participation in the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Addis Ababa (11/93), conducting a Mission to Palestine and holding a Seminar on Judicial Structures and Functions in Palestine (12/93) and preparing a Seminar on the Media and the Judiciary in Madrid (01/94).
Founded in 1952, the ICJ is dedicated to promoting the Rule of Law and the legal protection of human rights in the world. In 1978, it established the Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers (CIJL) to monitor the harassment of judges and lawyers and promote the independence of the judiciary and the legal profession. The ICJ has also been instrumental in drafting international human rights standards such as the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the UN Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary, the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers and the UN Declaration on Enforced Disappearances and ensuring that these are adopted and implemented by States.
The ICJ was awarded the first European Human Rights Prize by the Council of Europe in 1980, the Wateler Peace Prize in 1984 and the Erasmus Prize for Human Rights (Netherlands) in 1989.
