Geneva - The late Edward Kennedy will be awarded a United Nations prize for his work as "an unparalleled champion" of refugees, it was announced Tuesday.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said the Nansen Refugee Award will go to the late United States senator for being a protector of asylum seekers and a sponsor of legislation that incorporated international rules into the US law-books.

"Senator Kennedy stood out as a forceful advocate for those who suddenly found themselves with no voice and no rights. Year after year, conflict after conflict, he put the plight of refugees on the agenda and drove through policies that saved and shaped countless lives," UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said in a statement.

His efforts "directly helped millions of persecuted individuals to find protection and start new lives in the United States," the agency added.

UNHCR, based in Geneva, said it had informed Kennedy of the award prior to his death on August 25 and that it was "deeply saddened by his passing."

The annual award is worth 100,000 dollars, funded by Norway and Switzerland, which the winners can donate to any cause of their choosing. A ceremony will take place on October 28 in Washington.

The award was created in 1954 in honour of Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian who was the High Commissioner for Refugees at the predecessor to the UN, the League of Nations. He won the 1922 Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work. (dpa)