This prize, created in 1988, is awarded for individual or collective action on the ground, irrespective of nationality or borders, undertaken in France or abroad, with respect to one of two themes:
 
Theme 1: Poverty, impoverishment and human rights in a financial and economic crisis
 
The financial and economic crisis acted as an indicator and a trigger for the difficulties experienced by numerous impoverished people in meeting their own needs as well as those of their families. These recurring difficulties are causing concern on the international arena, as was shown by the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ten years ago, whose main goal is to reduce extreme poverty. Furthermore, discussions within the Human Rights Council on Draft Guiding Principles, "Extreme Poverty and Human Rights:  The Rights of the Poor" aim to ensure that the poor can exercise their rights. The ability to enjoy economic, social and cultural rights depends on their justifiability: in this context, the adoption of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in December 2008 which is in the process of being ratified, is an essential instrument.
 
Projects to combat poverty which aim to ensure the effective enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights can submit applications. Winning projects may deal with concrete and innovative actions to bring sustainable solutions to the issues of the exclusion of poor people in a crisis situation in their country and through ownership and effective exercise of their rights, and to encourage communities to offer a long-term solution to their economic and social problems.
 
Theme 2: New information and communication technologies (NICT) and human rights

Access to new information and communication technologies (NICT), which covers techniques used to process and forward information - mainly information technology, the Internet and telecommunications - is an indicator of different levels of inequality, between developed countries and developing countries, but also within the societies of developed countries.  However, insofar as NICTs are, for their users, tools for accessing and exercising these rights, the narrowing of the so-called "digital divide" is a lever for reducing inequalities. The fifth World Telecommunication Development Conference, which has just concluded in Hyderabad, India, showed this clearly and the adoption of a comprehensive action plan to foster the development of ICT, mainly in order to facilitate the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), was one of its main results.

Accessing information, contributing to its development and circulation, as well as benefiting from the development capacities offered by NICT are some of the issues which the theme of the French Republic's Human Rights Prize would like to raise this year. The censorship imposed on certain sites by governments, the criminal convictions against bloggers and human rights defenders exercising their right to free speech, are in all our thoughts. To these serious issues, we must add support for projects which promote equality as regards access to these technologies, computers, the Internet, etc., equality in how they are used and equality in the use of information stemming from these tools, with the goal of achieving full human rights for all.

1 – Non-governmental organizations, irrespective of nationality or borders, should present a field mission or project undertaken in France or abroad in 2010 concerning one of two themes.

2 - Five prize winners will share a total award of €75,000 granted by the Prime Minister.
A special mention will be conferred on the next five prize winners. Applications must comply with the Prize regulations.
The Prize regulations are available upon request, and can also be found on-line at  www.cncdh.fr or http://www.cncdh.fr/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=132

3 - The application form in French must include:
a) an application letter presented and signed by the president or legal representative of the operating NGO;
b) an application stating in detail the aim and description of the work undertaken or project submitted. It must include a precise budget (with an equivalent sum shown preferably in euros);
c) a presentation of the operating NGO (status, work conducted, etc.);
d) address and bank details of the NGO.

Applicants must submit their completed application before the deadline of 30 September 2010 to the Secrétariat Général de la Commission (35 rue Saint-Dominique, 75007 Paris, France)or by e-mail to michel.forst@cncdh.pm.gouv.fr AND veronique.bevin@cncdh.pm.gouv.fr

4 - The jury will announce the winners on 3 November 2010. The 2010 Prize will be presented by the Prime Minister in a formal ceremony in Paris on or around 10 December 2008.