The World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child (WCPRC) is made up of two unique prizes that are awarded for outstanding contributions on behalf of the rights of the child. More than 10,000 schools in 70 countries are registered by WCPRC as Global Friend schools, and their number is growing. Students at these schools are entitled to vote in the Global Vote - an election to decide the recipient of one of the main prizes - the Global Friends' Award. The other main prize, the World's Children's Prize, is awarded by an international Children's Jury. The children on the jury are experts in the field of children's rights through their own first-hand experiences as child soldiers, slaves and refugees. Three finalist candidates are put forward each year. The World's Children's Honorary Award goes to the finalist who does not receive either the Global Friends' Award or World's Children's Prize.

The prize amount for 2005 is USD $100,000. Companies including AstraZeneca and Det Norske Veritas contribute to the prize. All three prize laureates receive the money to use as part of their work on behalf of the rights of the child. Adults (organisations, companies and individuals) can support WCPRC as Adult Friends and can also nominate prize candidates. Some adults are benefactors of the Honorary Adult Friends prize. They include HRH Queen Silvia of Sweden, Nelson Mandela from South Africa and President of East Timor, Xanana Gusmão.

WCPRC was founded by Swedish organisation Children's World, but is open to all schools and organisations in the world. There are more than 200 Adult Friend organisations in some 40 countries

The Global Vote took place between February 1 - April 11 2005.

People (children and adults) or organisations can be nominated for WCPRC. Self-nominations will not be accepted. All Global Friends and Adult Friends may submit nominations. All children under 18 in every school in the world can take part in the Global Vote for the Global Friends' Award. The only condition is that their school is a Global Friend.

Becoming a Global Friend:

Any school, children's group and children's organisation in the world can become a Global Friend of The World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child. It gives all children under 18 in each school, group or organisation the right to take part in the Global Vote to decide who will receive the Global Friends Award.

Click here for more information about becoming a Global Friend.

Becoming an Adult Friend:

Adult Friend organisations show the world that they support children, the rights of the child and the prizes awarded for contributions on behalf of the rights of the child. Adult Friend organisations may take part in WCPRC's activities and arrange the Global Vote among children that they or their partners work together with. Adult Friend organisations have a standing right to nominate prize candidates. Adult Friend membership is free in most countries. In Western Europe, USA, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, organisations pay a fee that goes to the prize foundation. The fee varies.

Click here for more information about becoming an Adult Friend.

Winners

Global Friends' Award: 2.4 million children all around the world, who have participated in a Global Vote, have chosen Nelson Mandela and Graça Machel, from South Africa and Mozambique respectively, as laureates of the Global Friend's Award for 2005. Click here for more information.

World's Children's Prize: The laureate of this prize is decided by an international jury of children from 15 countries. Through their life experiences these children are experts on the rights of the child, as they have been soldiers, slaves, street children. They awarded their prize to The Mothers of St. Rita, Kenya. The mothers, 20 rural women, are helping children who are AIDS orphans. Click here for more information.

World's Children's Honorary Award: This award has been given to Ana María Marañon de Bohorquez, Bolivia. Confined to a wheelchair since the age of two, Ana María has been helping street children in Cochabamba for almost 30 years. Click here for more information.