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2021 UNESCO International Literacy Prizes - Call for Nominations

The nomination process is taking place via an online platform. An applicant can request the access to the online application form through this link: http://www.unesco.org/ilp/account.

The deadline

- for the candidates to submit an application to the nominating entities is 13 June 2021.
- for nominations is Sunday, 27 June 2021.

You will also find relevant information on the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes website.

UNESCO contact: Marie-Claude Machon Honoré 

BPW International contact: Chularat Israngkool


There are two prizes and like every year, UNESCO rewards six individuals or organizations for their outstanding projects that promote literacy learning (3 candidates for each).

This year the projects and programmes are requested to reflect the theme Inclusive distance and digital literacy learning.

The theme highlights innovative practices that literacy promoters have been initiating as a way to ensuring the continuity of literacy learning during the COVID-19 crisis. By finding solutions for continuing literacy learning for even the most vulnerable populations has made a difference during a critical time, where face-to-face teaching and learning is restricted.


The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize (3 awards) is supported by the Government of the Republic of Korea. It gives special consideration to programmes that promote mother language-based literacy development.

Each UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize winner receives a medal, a diploma and US$20,000.

The UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy (3 awards) is supported by the Government of the People’s Republic of China. This Prize recognizes programmes that promote literacy, including functional literacy, leveraging technological environments, in support of adults in rural areas and out-of-school youth.

Each UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy winner receives a medal, a diploma and US$30,000.