About the Award
The award
Once a year, we honour extraordinary service to the forcibly displaced.
Few humanitarian honours possess the rich legacy of UNHCR’s Nansen Refugee Award. Established in 1954, the Nansen Refugee Award is named after Fridtjof Nansen, the first High Commissioner for Refugees for the League of Nations.
The award is bestowed to a person or group for outstanding work on behalf of the forcibly displaced. The Nansen Refugee Award, through its laureates, aims to showcase the values of perseverance and conviction in the face of adversity.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of UNHCR’s Nansen Refugee Award. Since Eleanor Roosevelt became the first winner in 1954, more than 60 individuals, groups and organizations have been recognized for outstanding and dedicated work on behalf of displaced people.