HRRG to honour distinguished African leaders, human rights champions at Global RightsCon 2026 awards in Abuja

Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) has announced that distinguished African leaders, diplomats, human rights defenders, civil society organisations and development champions will be honoured at the HRRG Global RightsCon 2026 Awards, scheduled to take place from July 14 to 17, 2026 at the Continental Hotel, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nigeria.

The prestigious awards ceremony will be held during the 3rd Africa High-Level Civil Society Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Conference, one of Africa's foremost platforms for advancing financial integrity, democratic governance, accountability and civic participation.

Organised under the theme, "Championing Human Rights and Democratic Renewal," the awards seek to celebrate exceptional leadership and recognise individuals and institutions whose contributions have strengthened democracy, protected human rights, expanded civic space, promoted digital rights, advanced social justice and accelerated sustainable development across Africa and beyond.

According to HRRG, the Global RightsCon 2026 Awards were originally conceived as a flagship recognition initiative to be presented during the RightsCon 2026 Summit in Lusaka, Zambia. However, following the cancellation of the summit, the organisation's Board of Directors and Awards Committee resolved to proceed with the awards, stressing that the outstanding achievements of the selected honourees deserved formal continental recognition.

To ensure the awards proceeded as planned, HRRG secured the Abuja conference as a new platform for the presentation, where recipients will be honoured before policymakers, governance experts, civil society leaders, development practitioners and international stakeholders from across Africa.

Speaking ahead of the ceremony, Executive Director of Human Rights Reporters Ghana, Dr. Joseph Kobla Wemakor, described the awards as a celebration of visionary leadership and selfless service to humanity.

"The HRRG Global RightsCon Awards are more than a celebration of achievement; they are a recognition of leadership rooted in integrity, courage, service and an unwavering commitment to the public good. At a time when democratic values and civic freedoms continue to face significant challenges across the world, it is important to recognise those whose work strengthens institutions, protects fundamental rights, inspires hope and advances human dignity across Africa," he said.

Dr. Wemakor disclosed that the identities of the 2026 award recipients will be officially unveiled during the awards ceremony in Abuja.

He explained that this year's honourees comprise African Heads of State, senior government officials, distinguished diplomats, internationally respected legal scholars, human rights defenders, civil society leaders, development practitioners, youth advocates and institutions whose work continues to make significant contributions to democratic governance, peacebuilding, civic engagement and sustainable development.

According to him, the awards also seek to inspire ethical leadership and encourage greater commitment to justice, accountability and democratic renewal at a time when many African countries continue to confront governance and human rights challenges.

The awards ceremony forms part of the official programme of the 3rd Africa High-Level Civil Society AML/CFT Conference, a continental gathering that promotes collaboration among governments, civil society organisations, development partners and governance institutions to strengthen financial transparency, accountability, civic resilience and democratic governance throughout Africa.

HRRG expressed appreciation to the conference organisers and its strategic partners for providing a distinguished continental platform to celebrate excellence in leadership while reinforcing shared commitments to justice, democracy, human rights and inclusive development.

The organisation said the official list of award recipients, citations, photographs and highlights from the ceremony will be released immediately after the awards presentation.

The HRRG Global RightsCon 2026 Awards reaffirm the organisation's commitment to recognising outstanding leadership that advances democratic governance, safeguards fundamental rights, strengthens civic space and promotes sustainable development across Africa.

Founded in 2019, Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) is a leading human rights and media-focused civil society organization dedicated to advancing human dignity, democratic accountability, social justice, civic participation and sustainable development.

Through advocacy, investigative journalism, research, capacity building, access to justice and strategic partnerships, the organisation empowers vulnerable communities and contributes to strengthening democratic governance in Ghana, across Africa and globally.

Over the years, HRRG has earned national and international recognition for its work, including the prestigious 5th UN Global Entreps Award for Best International Practice on Sustainability for its nationwide KTT Project, which has impacted more than 60,000 beneficiaries.

The organisation has also received the Africa Peace Advocate Award, emerged as a finalist in the African Human Rights Defenders Shield Awards, placed 4th at the 2020 Africans Rising Activism Awards (Movement of the Year category), ranked among Ghana's 100 Most Impactful Changemakers, and was recognised by the World Bank for contributing expert insights to the Equality of Opportunity for Sexual and Gender Minorities (EQOSOGI) Report.

HRRG also convenes and supports more than 500 civil society organisations through the Youth Sub-Platform of the Ghana Civil Society Organizations Platform on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and has represented Ghana at several major regional and international platforms dedicated to advancing human rights, democratic governance and sustainable development.

Source: HRRG

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