Legal & Contest Terms
Everything you need to know before you apply
These are the official rules, privacy notice, and submission terms for the Human Rights In Focus international youth video contest. Please read carefully before submitting your entry.
Last updated: July 20, 2026
Section 1
Official Contest Rules
The Human Rights in Focus international youth creative competition is open to students aged 11 to 22. By entering, you agree to the rules below.
1. Eligibility
- Open to students aged 11 to 22 years inclusive as of the submission deadline.
- Open to students of schools, vocational education institutions, colleges, universities, and other higher education institutions in the Middle School, High School, and College and University categories.
- Participants may submit entries individually or as a group. For group entries, the group leader must be identified in the application as the primary participant. Remaining group members must be listed in the designated group-members section of the application form.
2. Contest Period
- Participants must register and submit their competition entries electronically no later than October 15, 2026.
- Competition entries will be evaluated by the jury between October 15 and November 30, 2026.
- The Competition results will be announced, and the winners will be recognized during an online awards ceremony on December 10, 2026. Only prize-winning entries and entries receiving special recognition from the jury will be announced.
3. Video Requirements
- Length: no more than 40 seconds, including credits.
- The video must address only one right from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Participants may independently select any right included in the Declaration.
- Videos must be submitted in MP4 or MOV format.
- The Competition is international and is conducted in English.
- Videos created entirely from borrowed or pre-existing video materials are not eligible. Borrowed materials from other sources or materials generated using artificial intelligence may constitute no more than 50% of the total duration of the video, except for entries submitted in the animation category. The sources of all borrowed materials must be credited in the video’s end credits.
4. Judging Criteria
- Compliance with these Regulations
- The ability of the entry to inspire respect for human rights and demonstrate the importance of protecting and observing them
- Aesthetic quality
- Originality
5. Prizes & Recognition
- The jury will award first, second, and third place in each age category and entry category. Competition winners will receive diplomas.
- All Competition participants will receive an electronic certificate of participation.
- An official online awards ceremony will be organized to recognize the winners. The ceremony will be open to everyone who wishes to attend.
6. Disqualification
- The following entries will not be accepted: commercial advertising; content that insults or demeans the dignity or feelings of other people; and content that does not correspond to the theme of the Competition.
- Video content must comply with generally accepted standards of morality and must not contain explicit or excessively aggressive material. Entries must not contain political campaigning or propaganda, must not address sexual content or intimate relationships, and must not promote political, partisan, or ideological views. All materials must be appropriate for a broad audience of children and young people.
Section 2
Types of Contest Work You Can Submit
Entries are accepted in the following categories. Every video must clearly communicate the meaning of the selected human right and encourage viewers to respect and uphold human rights.
1. Live-action video or public service announcement
- A live-action video or public service announcement with a total duration of no more than 40 seconds, including credits.
- The video must address one human right. Participants may independently select any right included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
2. Animated video
- An animated video with a total duration of no more than 40 seconds, including credits.
- The entry may use hand-drawn animation, sand animation, AI-assisted animation, or any other creative method, including clay, construction sets, drawings, or similar materials.
Section 3
Privacy Notice
Competition participants consent to the processing of their personal data submitted in connection with the Competition.
Information We Collect
- First name, last name, and patronymic or middle name where applicable.
- Email address.
- Any other personal data submitted in connection with the Competition.
How We Use Your Information
- Participants consent to the processing of their personal data submitted in connection with the Competition.
- The results will also be sent to participants by email.
- Participants are responsible for providing a correct and valid email address.
Your Rights
- The Personal Data Processing Consent Form is available on the official Competition website.
- Participants must confirm their consent when submitting the application.
- All questions regarding the Competition should be sent to support@humanrightsinfocus.org.
Data Protection
- Competition participants consent to the processing of their personal data, including their first name, last name, patronymic or middle name where applicable, email address, and any other personal data submitted in connection with the Competition.
- The Personal Data Processing Consent Form is available on the official Competition website, and participants must confirm their consent when submitting the application.
Section 4
Submission Terms & Media Release
By submitting an entry to the Competition and selecting the relevant consent option in the application form, the participant grants the Competition organizers the right to use and distribute the submitted material.
Ownership
- Copyright in the competition entry remains with its author.
- By submitting an entry, the participant confirms that they are the author of the entry or possess all rights, permissions, and authorizations necessary to submit and use the entry in accordance with these Regulations. Participants are responsible for ensuring compliance with all copyright and intellectual property requirements applicable to the work submitted.
License Granted
- The participant grants the Competition organizers the right to use and distribute the submitted material, including by publishing it online, broadcasting it on television, using it in creative projects, publishing it in the media, and reproducing it in other formats.
- The participant grants the Organizer, free of charge, a worldwide right to use the competition entry, in whole or in part, for organizing, conducting, promoting, reporting on, and publicizing the Competition and the Organizer’s activities. These rights are granted without limitation on the number of uses and without payment of additional compensation. The Organizer may not sell a competition entry to third parties or use it separately from the purposes of the Competition and the Organizer’s activities without obtaining additional consent from the author or the author’s legal representative.
Media Release
- Participants consent to the processing of their first name, last name, patronymic or middle name where applicable, email address, and any other personal data submitted in connection with the Competition.
- When using a competition entry, the Organizer will, whenever reasonably possible, identify the author, team, or educational institution, provided that this information was supplied by the participant and that its publication is permitted under applicable law and the consents obtained.
Content Standards
- Content must not insult or demean the dignity or feelings of other people.
- Entries must focus on the human rights set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and must be appropriate for a broad audience of children and young people.
- Borrowed materials from other sources, including pre-existing images and videos obtained from the Internet, or materials generated using artificial intelligence, may constitute no more than 50% of the total duration of the video, except for entries submitted in the animation category. Plagiarism is prohibited. The sources of all borrowed materials must be credited in the video’s end credits.
Acknowledgement
- By submitting an entry to the Competition and selecting the relevant consent option in the application form, the participant confirms they have read, understood, and agreed to these terms.
- The Personal Data Processing Consent Form is available on the official Competition website, and participants must confirm their consent when submitting the application. Participants submit their entries free of charge.
Questions about the terms?
If anything is unclear, reach out before submitting. We're here to help you take part with confidence.