A call for nominations for the African Union’s Nelson Mandela Award, which targets human-rights defenders across the continent, has been made officially.

The African Union Commission says that eligible candidates would include African individuals, groups, associations, nongovernmental organisations, and civil society organisations.

The candidates should promote aspects such as civil and political rights; socioeconomic and cultural rights, including rights to health, water, shelter, land, consumer services, education and food; women’s rights; children’s rights; labour rights; human rights education; human rights policy advocacy; humanitarian affairs; the right to self determination or solidarity rights; minority, indigenous and environmental rights; right to development; peaceful resolution of conflicts; poverty alleviation, anticorruption, foreign debt issues and economic development policies; or academic research on any of thesecategories.

In addition, the candidate should be sufficiently recognised at national level even though he or she may not be well known internationally.