Human Rights Tulip

The Human Rights Tulip is an annual award of the Dutch government to support human rights defenders in their work advancing and protecting human rights around the world, while highlighting related issues. Each year since 2008 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has awarded the Human Rights Tulip to an outstanding human rights defender.

The award

The winner receives € 100,000 in prize money and a bronze sculpture in the shape of a tulip. The Dutch government hopes that the prize will enable the winner to:

  • gain international visibility and recognition
  • further develop and expand the scale of their human rights work, allowing them to reach more people in as many places as possible
  • inspire others.

Human Rights Defenders

Human rights defenders stand up for vulnerable groups, expose human rights violations and demand justice. Human rights defenders often work under difficult circumstances, receive death threats and are jailed, tortured and sometimes even killed. The Netherlands supports human rights defenders so that they can work effectively and safely.