The director of the WHO Tedros Adhanom, the CSIC and the CNB, Jesús Blasco de Avellaneda and Elena Arce, XXII Human Rights Awards of the Advocacy

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director of the World Health Organization, CSIC and CNB and Jesús Blasco de Avellaneda have been awarded the XXII Human Rights Awards granted by the Consejo General de la Abogacía Española through the Abogacía Española Foundation and that this year they were dedicated, as an extraordinary call, to the defense of universal access to health. The “Nacho de la Mata” Award, created in 2012 to recognize the work of individuals or institutions in favor of the most disadvantaged children, has gone to Elena Arce.

The visible face of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic

The 2020 Human Rights Award in the category of "People" has gone to the Director General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, for being the visible face of an organization that has been on the world front line since the declaration of the global pandemic caused by Covid-19. The Ethiopian, the first African to become the director of this body after being elected in 2017, has distinguished himself throughout his career for his work in favor of access to health for the most vulnerable. He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Health of Ethiopia, from where he undertook a comprehensive reform of the country's health system that allowed millions of people access to health care.

A benchmark for scientific research and health advances

The Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) and its National Center for Biotechnology (CNB) have been awarded the XXII Human Rights Prize in the category of "Institutions", for being the largest reference in our country in scientific research and research of advances that help prevent and cure diseases. The Covid-19 pandemic has only confirmed the excellent work of both institutions, which have developed a large number of research projects aimed at developing vaccines, antiviral and therapeutic compounds, models and measures to reduce contagion and identification of people positive.

Photojournalism to defend the rights of the most vulnerable

The 2020 Advocacy Human Rights Award in the "Media" category has gone to the photojournalist Jesús Blasco de Avellaneda, who for many years has made visible the violations of the fundamental rights of the most disadvantaged groups and who has spent more than two decades fighting for universal access to health, mainly for migrants, refugees and minors, and especially in hostile areas, which has earned him the National Human Rights Award of the APDHE 2013, finalist for the José Couso Prize for Freedom of Press in 2015 and 2016 or Father Arrupe Award for Human Rights and Communication, among others.

“Nacho de la Mata” Award: Elena Arce, the fight so that the MENA are, above all, children

The lawyer Elena Arce has been awarded this year with the "Nacho de la Mata" Award, for her tireless defense of the rights of unaccompanied foreign minors and her long career committed to the rights of those children who arrive alone at Spain. His work since his beginnings in the profession and now in the Migration Area of ​​the Ombudsman is aimed at making a reality that, for the so-called MENA, their condition as children is the substantive and that of foreigner the adjective

The XXII Legal Profession Awards

In this edition, 40 nominations have been submitted, 13 in the category of people, 18 in the category of institutions, 6 in that of the media and 3 for the “Nacho de la Mata” Award. The award ceremony of the XXII Lawyers Human Rights Awards will take place on December 10 in Madrid, during the Annual Lawyers Conference.