Established in 1954, the UNHCR's Nansen Refugee Award celebrates the legacy of Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian scientist, polar explorer, diplomat and first High Commissioner for Refugees for the League of Nations. Its first awardee was Eleanor Roosevelt, for her work with refugees while serving as the first Chair of the UN Human Rights Commission and First Lady of the United States. Since its inception, more than 60 individuals, groups or organizations have been recognized for their extraordinary service to forcibly displaced or stateless people.

Through its recipients, the Nansen Refugee Award aims to showcase Nansen’s enduring values of perseverance and commitment in the face of adversity.
Please join us in honoring the extraordinary commitment of the 2020 Laureate, Ms. Mayerlín Vergara Pérez for her decades-long work to prevent and help eradicate the sexual exploitation and trafficking of children and adolescents in North-East Colombia.

This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the ceremony will be a virtual event featuring performances by notable UNHCR supporters and remarks by influencers in the humanitarian field.

This event will be broadcast live on UNHCR’s YouTube channels in English and in Spanish.