UNITED NATIONS, Dec 6: Education activist Malala Yousufzai has been adjudged one of the winners of the latest edition of the United Nations Human Rights prize, an official statement said on Friday.

The prize, which is bestowed after every five years, is an honorary award given to individuals and organisations in recognition of outstanding achievements in the area of human rights.

Past recipients include the Amnesty International and former presidents Nelson Mandela and Jimmy Carter.

“The prize is an opportunity not only to give public recognition to the achievements of the recipients themselves, but also to send a clear message to human rights defenders the world over that the international community is grateful for, and supports, their tireless efforts to promote all human rights for all,” said a statement by Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The award ceremony will take place at the UN Headquarters in New York on Dec 10, as part of the annual commemoration of the Human Rights Day, which will this year include the observance of the 20th anniversary of the creation of the OHCHR and the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.