The United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA), invites media houses worldwide to submit entries for its 17th Annual UNCA Awards Dinner and Dance for the best written and electronic media coverage of the United Nations, its agencies and field operations.

The prizes amount to more than $50,000 with $10,000 each for the main categories, a statement issued by the African Press Organisation on behalf of UNCA and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Monday said.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will present the prizes at the Awards Gala dinner on Wednesday, December 19 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York.

There are no entry fees of any kind for submissions, and the deadline for submissions is September 15.

The awards are open to all journalists anywhere in the world.

They are: Elizabeth Neuffer Memorial Prize, sponsored by Alexander Bodini Foundation, for written media (including online media) coverage of the UN and its agencies and their work.

Elizabeth Neuffer, Boston Globe Bureau Chief at the United Nations, died while on assignment in Baghdad in 2003.

The Ricardo Ortega Memorial Prize for broadcast journalism coverage of the UN, and its agencies, jointly sponsored by the World Council of Peoples for the United Nations and Antena 3 TV of Spain.

Ricardo Ortega, formerly the New York Correspondent for Antena 3 TV of Spain, was one of the leading Spanish journalists of his generation who was shot dead on mission, in Haiti in 2004.

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation/UNCA Global Prize for coverage of Climate Change.

The Foundation promotes sustainable and equitable management of natural resources and places the individual at the centre of its projects.

It encourages the implementation of innovative and ethical solutions in three main categories: climate change, biodiversity, and water.

The United Nations Foundation prize for any entry in any medium that best covers the humanitarian and development aspects of the UN and its agencies.

Work in print, Internet, radio or TV between August 2011 and August 2012, covering the UN and its agencies in whatever capacity.

The judges will look for entries with impact, insight and originality, and will take into account the courage, assiduity and investigative work of the journalist.

"We particularly welcome entries from the developing world media. A written transcript will assist judging of radio and TV entries. Multiple or joint entries will be accepted."

Entries not in one of the official languages of the UN should have a translation into English or French. Video entries should be in DVD (preferably NTSC format), and a minimum of two (2) copies should be sent of each entry.

Mailing address: Fedex, registered or couriered packages should be sent to: UNCA Awards Committee, Mailbox 613, The Chrysler Building 132 East 43rd Street, New York, NY 10017, USA.

To submit entries, the statement said, all materials should be sent to: uncaawards@unca.com (if sending hard copies - please send to address indicated above).

Attach a professional photo of yourself (preferably jpg or pdf), and complete the awards entry form on the UNCA website: www.unca.com

Questions regarding Awards: UNCA Office 1-212-963-7137, or send an email to uncaawards@unca.com

UNCA Awards Committee: Giampaolo Pioli (UNCA President), J. Tuyet Nguyen (Awards Event Chairman), Margaret Besheer (UNCA Treasurer), Richard Roth (Master of Ceremony).