The United Nations in Moldova has announced the winners of the 2024 UN Human Rights Awards. The awards honor individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the promotion and protection of human rights during the year, IPN reports.

The overall prize for outstanding achievements in the field of human rights was awarded to the Union for Equity and Health.

The Special Award for Outstanding Human Rights Achievements for the protection and promotion of the rights of children, especially children belonging to marginalized groups, in the context of the 35th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, was awarded to the Association for the Empowerment of the Child and the Family "AVE Copii".

The special award for outstanding achievements in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment, in the context of the 30th anniversary of the ratification by the Republic of Moldova of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, went to the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Moldova.

The UN Human Rights Prizes are an open and transparent competition that allows individuals and organizations to nominate themselves or others. Nominations are judged by an independent jury.

The awards event aligns with the theme of Human Rights Day marked annually on December 10: "Our Rights, Our Future, Now". It is a call to everyone - government, civil society, development partners and the private sector - to join forces to place human rights at the heart of all its policies, actions and aspirations, ensuring that no one and nowhere is left behind, a press release issued by the United Nations in Moldova said.

This year's event marked its 18th edition, supported by the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator and eight UN agencies: OHCHR, UNFPA, UNDP, UNICEF, UN Women, UNAIDS, UNHCR and WHO. The awards were not only organized in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2022, when efforts focused on the refugee response.