Nomination process opens for 2012 Nansen Refugee Award

UNHCR is today launching the nomination phase for the 2012 Nansen Refugee Award, the refugee world's highest honour. We are calling on members of the press, the public, and humanitarian community to nominate deserving candidates. The period for doing so, is between now and 29 February.

The Nansen Award was established in 1954, and is named after the first high commissioner for refugees, Fridtjof Nansen. Its first winner was Eleanor Roosevelt. Others since then have included Handicap International, MSF, Mozambican humanitarian Graca Machel, US Senator Ted Kennedy, and photojournalist Alixandra Fazzina. This year, the award went to the 290 staff of Yemen's Society for Humanitarian Solidarity, and its founder Nasser Salim Ali Al-Hamairy.

Nominations are encouraged for deserving individuals, groups or organizations whose work has had a direct and positive impact on the lives of refugees, internally displaced or stateless people.

To nominate a candidate go to www.nansenaward.org and request the nomination package. Nominations need to include detail of the candidate's work for displaced people and supporting references.