Brussels: Front Line Receives major international award.
On Tuesday 8 May 2007 the Chairman of the Board of the King Baudouin Foundation in Brussels will present the 2007 King Baudouin International Development Prize to Front Line, the International Foundation for the Protection of Human rights Defenders which is based in Dublin. The Prize will be awarded in the presence of Their Majesties H.M. King Albert, H.M. Queen Paola and H.M. Queen Fabiola.
Further information
The prize, worth €150,000, will be awarded at a ceremony in the Royal Palace in Brussels. This is the first time that this Prize has ever been awarded to an organisation working on behalf of human rights defenders, and it is the first time that an Irish NGO has even made it onto the short list.
395 organisations were nominated . After a rigorous scrutiny this was narrowed down to a short list of five and finally awarded to Front Line. The Prize is awarded on the basis of the impact and effectiveness of the work of Front Line .
There are two elements to the award. The first is a private lunch in the Castle of Laaken with the Belgian Royal family. This will include a short photocall before lunch with Their Majesties King Albert, Queen Paola and Queen Fabiola.
Front Line will be represented by Denis O'Brien Chairman, Mary Lawlor, Director , and Andrew Anderson Deputy Director They will be accompanied by human rights defenders, Gege Katana of DRC, winner of the 2007 Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders At Risk and Mudawi Ibrahim Adam of Sudan, winner of the 2005 Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders At Risk.
In the afternoon there will be a reception in the Royal Palace in Brussels for 500 people during which the Chairman of the Board of the King Baudouin Foundation will present the Prize. There will be opportunities to film this and to do interviews. The award ceremony will run from 4pm to 6pm.
If you wish to cover these events we will need names in advance for security clearance. Presentation of King Baudouin International Development Prize to Irish based Front Line – The International Foundation For the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
8 May 2007
Royal Castle of Laaken photocall before lunch 12.00AM
Royal Palace Brussels 4pm full access to ceremony – to be agreed in advance. Press contacts
Front Line – DUBLIN contact Jim Loughran Head of Media and Communications jimloughran@frontlinedefenders.org 91 Main St., Blackrock, Co Dublin, Ireland Phone: +353 (0)1 212 3750, mobile 087 – 9377586 from outside Ireland 00 353 87 9377586
Front Line - Brussels contact Vincent Forest Square Marie – Louise 72 euoffice@frontlinedefenders.org 00 32 2 230 93 83
King Baudouin Foundation - Brussels contact Jean-Paul Collette e-mail collette.j@kbs-frb.be Tel. 00 32 2 549 02 78