Images: On

2023 United Against Rabies Photo Competition Guidelines

Produced by: United Against Rabies Forum

Article 1: Purpose of the competition

In 2023, the United Against Rabies Forum is holding a UNITED AGAINST RABIES PHOTO COMPETITION. The United Against Rabies Forum reserves the right to cancel or amend the Competition or its rules without notice.

The 2023 United Against Rabies Photo Competition is open!

Do you have an eye for photography? Are you passionate about making a difference in the world? Here’s your chance to combine your skills and contribute to the global goal of zero human rabies deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030! We invite you to participate in the “Rabies: All for 1, One Health for all” United Against Rabies Photo Competition.

The winners of the 2023 United Against Rabies Photo Competition will be the entrants who best showcase the positive impact of rabies control and prevention activities. Become an ambassador for rabies elimination across the world.

This competition aims to raise awareness, advocate for elimination, and highlight the incredible efforts       of rabies stakeholders worldwide. The competition is open to photographers of all levels, from        amateurs to professionals. Photos should highlight the positive impact of rabies control and prevention        activities. This can include any aspect of rabies control and elimination, including human health, animal health, environmental aspects, community health and responsible dog ownership, and engagement or raising awareness and advocating for elimination.

The prizes range from €800 to €1,500, depending on the category.

Please read the competition rules before you submit your entry.

Join us in the race to reach Zero by 30! Your photographs have the power to inspire change and raise awareness about this preventable disease.

Spread the word, and let’s capture the power of progress through your lens!


Article 2: Entrants

The competition is free and open to individuals over the age of 18.

As the United Against Rabies Forum is led by the Tripartite (FAO, WHO and WOAH), Tripartite staff, both from headquarters and the regions, are excluded from the competition and must not participate either directly or indirectly.

The number of entries is limited to one per person (same surname, same first name and same postal address, irrespective of which email address is used). In the event of multiple entries by the same person (same surname, same first name, same postal address, irrespective of which email address is used), all entries from that person will be automatically rejected.


Article 3: Functioning

The competition will be announced on the United Against Rabies website www.unitedagainstrabies.org.

The competition entry procedure will also be published on the United Against Rabies Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as on a dedicated page of the United Against Rabies website [https://www.unitedagainstrabies.org/news/2023-united-against-rabies-photo-competition] from 6 November 2023 until noon on 15 January 2023 (Paris time).  

As neither Facebook nor Twitter are the organisers or sponsors of the competition, they cannot be held liable for any problem related to the competition. The competition is not associated with, managed by or sponsored by Facebook or Twitter.

Participation in the competition is free and done exclusively online on the www.unitedagainstrabies.org website.

Please note that you do not need to be a professional photographer to submit an entry. However, to take part, entrants must:

  • Select between one and five photos corresponding to the theme;
  • Read and note the rules;
  • Fill in the entry form online, complete all the fields and accept the rules of the photo competition;
  • Upload and submit the photos (no more than five), meeting the technical requirements below, on the photo competition website, by noon on 15 January 2024 (Paris time);
  • Make sure that you receive the email confirming that your application has been received.

The photos entered must have the following technical characteristics:

  • Color or black & white
  • Format: png, jpg, jpeg or tiff
  • Resolution: 300 dpi
  • Minimum size of 2480 by 3508 pixels (21 x 29.7 cm), preferably the maximum size and resolution available up to a maximum size of 10 MB per photo. If the photo exceeds this amount, the upload will not be successful.
  • If any of the above conditions is not met, the entry will be disregarded. The date and time of reception of the complete entry will be taken into account for purposes of meeting the entry deadline. Any entry that is incomplete, submitted after the deadline or in any other form than that specified, will be disregarded. No entries via Facebook, Twitter or letter post will be accepted.

The entries that comply with these rules will then be judged by a judging panel whose composition includes representatives of FAO, WHO, WOAH and other member organisations of the United Against Rabies Forum.

The judging panel will select the best three photos from each region (determined by WOAH classification of regions) to be put to a public vote, with the public selecting the winning photo from each region.

The photograph with the highest number of votes overall will receive the ‘Global Prize’

Winners will be notified by email, and announced in the United Against Rabies Forum webinar on 6 February 2024, then published on the www.unitedagainstrabies.org website not later than 6 February 2024.

The winners will be awarded the prizes mentioned in Article 7.

Winners will also be requested to film a 2 minute video or interview outlining why rabies control and elimination is important to them. This video may be used in UAR Forum social media and communications.


Article 4: Obligations

The photos must comply with the theme of the competition, as detailed in these rules.

The photos must not be obscene, violent, dangerous, racist, contrary to public order, likely to harm the development of minors, offend the dignity of persons or condone crimes against animals and humans. Photos that do not comply with this provision will be automatically excluded from the competition.

The entrant represents and warrants that:

  • he/she is the rightful/lawful author of the photo(s) entered in the competition and therefore the exclusive owner of literary and artistic rights, namely the right to the name, the right of reproduction, the right of modification, the right to display the photo publicly, and the right to disseminate it via any medium anywhere in the world;
  • he/she has obtained the prior written consent of the persons identified in the entered photo(s), thus ensuring that WOAH and the United Against Rabies Forum cannot be held liable for the use of the said photo in the context of this competition.

Article 5: Authorisation for publication

As the author of the entered photo(s) and holder of the associated literary and artistic rights, each entrant consents, as a condition of entry for the competition, to the photo(s) being displayed at the various rabies events (which could include the annual United Against Rabies Forum Stakeholder Meetings and WOAH General Sessions), and to being promoted on the United Against Rabies Forum website as communication material that can be used by stakeholders for rabies advocacy and communications campaigns. 

The entrant transfers to WOAH, and the United Against Rabies Forum, non-exclusive rights to use all or part of the photos (in their original or modified form), to reproduction, dissemination in any medium and display, with a mention of the author’s name in the copyright, in any communication or publishing medium.

These non-exclusive rights are granted for an unlimited period, worldwide, as from the date of submitting the entry and its acceptance by the WOAH and the United Against Rabies Forum.

Entrants retain the right freely to use their photos and may at any time revoke the non-exclusive rights that they have granted to WOAH by sending a letter, dated and signed by entrants (who retain the literary and artistic rights), using a courier service with tracking and delivery against signature, to the following address:

Science Department

World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)

12, rue de Prony

75017 Paris, France

Tel: +33 (0) 1 44 15 18 88


Article 6: Deadline

The deadline for completing the entry form and submitting photos is noon on 15 January 2024 (Paris time).


Article 7: Prizes

Regional Prizes

 A winner will be chosen from each of the WOAH regions:

  • Regional Africa Prize
  • Regional Americas Prize
  • Regional Asia and Pacific Prize
  • Regional Europe Prize
  • Regional Middle East Prize

Each winner will receive the sum of €800.

The regional membership of entrants will be determined according to the member country selected by the entrant when submitting their photo.

 Global Prize

Further an overall Global winner will be chosen from the entries submitted, and will receive the ‘Global Prize’ of €1,500.

If a winner cannot be contacted by email within 7 days of the closing date, WOAH, on behalf of the United Against Rabies Forum, will allocate the prize to another entrant.


Article 8: Complaints

WOAH, as host of the United Against Rabies Forum, disclaims all liability for the content of published photos. WOAH reserves the right to disqualify any entrants who fail, wholly or partially, to comply with these rules.

No claims against WOAH will be possible except for claims for failure to comply with these rules. WOAH cannot be held liable in connection with the competition and the entrants will therefore not be entitled to claim any damages or compensation whatsoever.

WOAH disclaims all liability if for any reason a participant submitted erroneous data for his/her entry and the system does not allow the participant to enter. Incomplete entries or those with erroneous data will be disregarded.

WOAH disclaims all liability if for any reason a participant cannot access the website of the United Against Rabies Photo Competition, or cannot upload the photos.

WOAH shall not be responsible for any technical problems such as but not limited to Internet connectivity which prevent or hinder participation in the United Against Rabies Photo Competition.

No claims whatsoever against WOAH will be possible. WOAH will not be held liable in connection with the United Against Rabies Photo Competition and the participants will therefore not be entitled to claim any damages or compensation whatsoever.


Article 9: Availability of the rules

These rules are available on the dedicated photo competition webpage: https://www.unitedagainstrabies.org/news/2023-united-against-rabies-photo-competition/


Article 10: Personal data

The United Against Rabies Forum is hosted by WOAH on behalf of the Tripartite (FAO, WHO and WOAH).

WOAH processes the personal data of participants in accordance with good practice in this area.

The participants’ data will be collected and processed by WOAH for the purposes of the United Against Rabies Photo Competition. This processing is necessary for the legitimate aims of WOAH and the United Against Rabies Forum, which includes managing the registration and participation of the participants in the competition, contacting the winners, and providing information by email on the communication campaign concerning the photo competition.

Participants have the right to access their information, to correct and update it and to delete it. To exercise these rights, participants can contact the Global Rabies Coordinator at the following address: globalrabiescoordinator@woah.org

In the event the participant exercises his/her right of deletion his/her data before the end of the competition, it will be considered that the participant has renounced his/her right to participate in the competition.

 For more information on the competition, please refer to the above articles outlining the competition guidelines.

Personal Data use

WOAH processes the personal data of participants in accordance with good practice in this area.

WOAH’s contact details are: WOAH, 12 rue de Prony, 75017 Paris.

The contact details of its representative are: Director General, WOAH, 12 rue de Prony, 75017 Paris.

The participants’ data are collected and processed for the purposes of the competition. Submitting this information is required and forms part of the contract; it is a prerequisite for the contract’s fulfilment. Without providing this information, the participant cannot take part in the competition. The intended recipients of participants’ data are the authorised personnel of the United Against Rabies Forum Secretariat, who are responsible for processing the data.

The participants’ data will be kept for one year after the end of the competition.

Participants have the right to access their information, to correct it and to delete it. To exercise these rights, participants can contact the Global Rabies Coordinator at the following address: globalrabiescoordinator@woah.org

WOAH will take the necessary measures to respond to participants’ requests in a satisfactory manner.