August 19 is World Humanitarian Day recognizing those who have lost their lives working for humanitarian causes. The date marks the 2003 bombing of the UN embassy in Baghdad when Sérgio Vieira de Mello and 21 others lost their lives. A national of Brazil, Vieira de Mello had served in the UN for over thirty years in some of the most challenging humanitarian situations.

In 2006 the Vieira de Mello family and a group of close friends founded the Sergio Vieira de Mello Foundation dedicated to promoting dialogue between communities and relieving the plight of victims of humanitarian crises. The Foundation recognizes an individual and an organization annually with the Sérgio Vieira de Mello award.

The 2019 winners are Tamila Tasheva (Ukraine), Human Rights Diocesan Centre “Fray Juan de Larios” (Mexico); Honorary Prize and the late Paweł Adamowicz (Poland), 2019. Read more here.