The jury of North-South Centre of the Council of Europe* has announced the laureates of the 31st edition of the North-South prize of the Council of Europe, with the awards going to Bragi Guðbrandsson and Mr Rami Abou Jamous.
The award ceremony will take place on 19 May at noon (1pm CET) at the Portuguese parliament in Lisbon. It will also be livestreamed on the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe website in English and French and on the Council of Europe’s Tunis office in Arabic.
Awarded annually since 1995, the North-South prize honours two laureates chosen from the Global, North, and South categories. Whether grassroots activists, personalities, organisations, or institutions, the laureates are recognised for their commitment to the defence and promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law as well as to the development of intercultural dialogue and the reinforcement of the North-South partnership and solidarity, in conformity with the principles and priorities of the Council of Europe. This year’s edition holds particular significance, as it takes place in the year marking the 50th anniversary of Portugal’s accession to the Council of Europe.
Who are the North-South prize winners?
Bragi Guðbrandsson is a distinguished children’s rights defender whose work has advanced child protection across Europe and beyond. He is widely recognised for pioneering the Barnahus (“Children’s House”) model and for his leadership in international human rights advocacy and monitoring. His contributions have strengthened multidisciplinary, child-friendly justice responses to violence and sexual abuse and helped shape international child protection standards through his work with the Council of Europe and the United Nations.
Rami Abou Jamous, a renowned war correspondent whose independent reporting has brought first-hand accounts of life under conflict to global audiences, is awarded the prize in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the defence of North-South dialogue, as well as the perilous conditions faced by journalists in Gaza today.
The award will be presented by the President of the Portuguese Republic António José Seguro, in a ceremony presided over by the President of the Assembly of the Portuguese Republic José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, and in the presence of other distinguished guests.
*The Jury is presided by the President of the North-South Centre executive committee and is made up of members of the bureau and a representative of the North-South Centre‘s host country, if the country’s representative is not a bureau member.
