Human Rights
and Business Award

An annual award (with a $50,000 grant) for outstanding work by human rights defenders in the Global South* or former Soviet Union addressing the human rights impacts of business in those regions.

*Global South = Africa, Asia & Pacific, Latin America & Caribbean, Middle East

Photo: Photographer unknown

Photo: VICE

Photo: GMB Akash

Mirvari Gahramanli, OWRPO Founder and Chairperson

photo credit: REUTERS / Alamy

photo credit: Nikolai Ignatiev / Alamy

OWRPO seminar for women workers to discuss labor rights and gender laws

Oil platform fire; 30 workers reportedly lost their lives - Azerbaijan (photo credit: Wikipedia)

photo credit: Bruce Brander / Science Photo Library

2022 award recipient

Oil Workers’ Rights Protection Organization

OWRPO, founded in 1996 by a group of oil workers, addresses the human rights impacts of oil and gas companies in Azerbaijan. It defends the rights of oil and gas industry workers, and seeks public monitoring of large-scale oil and gas projects. It also works for transparent and fair spending of oil and gas revenues for the benefit of society, calling for more to be invested in Azerbaijan's “human capital” (including education and health).

More information All 2022 nominees