| Nansen Refugee Award | |
|---|---|
 Logo | |
| Awarded for | Outstanding service to the cause of refugees |
| Location | Geneva |
| Presented by | United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |
| Reward(s) | US$150,000 |
| First award | 1954 |
| Website | www |
 The top of the Nansen Medal reads: "Nestekjærlighet er Realpolitik" (English: Altruism is Practical Politics) | |
The Nansen Refugee Award is a medal issued annually by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to an individual, group or organisation in recognition of outstanding service to the cause of refugees, displaced or stateless people. [1] The award was established by UNHCR the organisation's first High Commissioner, Gerrit Jan van Heuven Goedhart, in 1954 as a tribute to Fridtjof Nansen. [2] Fridtjof Nansen was a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, explorer and League of Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [3] and the award was established in honour of his work to support refugees. [4] Van Heuven Goedhart felt that creating an award would increase the world's attention to the needs of refugees and increase global refugee aid. [2]
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The inaugural awardee was Eleanor Roosevelt in 1954. [5] Every year, the prize is presented at a ceremony in the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices, in Geneva. [6] [7] The medal is accompanied by a US$150,000 prize. [3] The award was expanded in 2017 to include regional winners for Africa, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East and Europe. [8]
In 2018, the award was described as the "other Nobel" prize by NPR. [9]
