UN top Human Rights award on Benazir Bhutto

United Nations, Nov 26: The United Nations has reportedly decided to confer its top human rights award on former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

The award will be announced on December 10, when the UN Human Rights Day is observed across the world. The occasion also marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Daily Times quoted UN sources as saying that UN General Assembly president Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann would officially communicate the decision to Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in the next few days about the conferment of the award.

Instituted in 1968, the UN human rights awards are intended to "honour and commend people and organisations which have made an outstanding contribution to the promotion and protection of the human rights embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in other UN human rights instruments".

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will present the award, which consists of a metal plaque bearing the UN seal and an artistic design, and engraved with an appropriate citation - at a headquarter ceremony in New York.

ANI