Deadline: April 7, 2025
Nominations are open for the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award 2025. The UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award is given annually to an individual, group or organization that has shown outstanding dedication and service to people forced to flee their homes or people who are stateless. Since 2017, they have also recognized several regional winners each year.
The Award is named after the celebrated Norwegian explorer and humanitarian Fridtjof Nansen. Through its recipients, the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award aims to showcase Nansen’s values of perseverance and commitment in the face of adversity.
Award
- The 2025 global laureate will receive a commemorative medal and a monetary prize of US$100,000 to be reinvested in the humanitarian initiatives for which they are being recognized.
- Several regional winners will receive a smaller monetary prize to further their humanitarian work.
Eligibility
Anyone may nominate a candidate for the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award. If you nominated someone in the past but they did not win, you may nominate them again.
- Candidates may be individuals, groups or organizations.
- Their work must have a direct and positive impact on the lives of forcibly displaced or stateless people.
- Their work relates to a major displacement situation or issue.
- This year they especially encourage nominations that relate to climate, sports, sustainable solutions and inclusions but they are open to other themes.
- They devote substantial time and effort to support forcibly displaced or stateless people, going above and beyond the call of duty and outside their expected role.
- They have the capacity to successfully implement a suitable project with the prize money (US$100,000 for the global laureate, US$25,000 for regional winners).
- They have three strong references.
Nomination
Note that self-nominations are strongly discouraged. Current or former UNHCR employees are not eligible. The deadline to submit nominations is midnight CET, 07 April 2025. Late submissions will not be considered.
For more information, visit UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award.
