Inter Press Service established the International Journalism Award in 1985 to honour outstanding journalists whose efforts, and often lives, contributed significantly to exposing human rights violations and advancing democracy, most often in developing countries.

In 1991, IPS decided to broaden the scope of the award to reflect the tremendous changes taking place in the world following the historic break-up of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. The Award, renamed the International Achievement Award, was established to recognise the work of individuals and organisations who continue to fight for social and political justice in the "new world order".

In 2004, after a three-year hiatus, IPS reinstated the award on an annual basis.

RECIPIENTS OF THE IPS AWARD
2006	KOFI ANNAN, Secretary-General of the United Nations (1996-2006), for his lasting contributions to peace and security, and his commitment to help the world's poorer nations in their fight to reduce extreme poverty and hunger, as envisaged in the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). - The Secretary-General remarks at IPS International Achievement Award 2006 - G77 chairman's statement at IPS International Achievement Award 2006
2005	Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) for successfully mobilising the voices and actions of millions of citizens in the relentless fight to eradicate world poverty.
2004	THE GROUP OF 77 for its longstanding commitment to the cause of developing nations, and for its outstanding contributions in advancing the global development agenda. The award coincided with the 40th anniversary of the G-77 chaired by Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser of Qatar.
2000	NAFIS SADIK, Executive-Director of the United Nations Population Fund, for her inspiring leadership of UNFPA from 1987-2000, and her fearless advocacy of the rights of women.
1999	JUAN SOMAVIA, Director-General of the International Labour Organisation, for his deep, lifelong commitment to social development and international cooperation.
1998	GRAÇA MACHEL, first lady of South Africa and President of Mozambique's Foundation for Community Involvement, for her efforts to draw attention to the plight of children in armed conflict and to the educational needs of all children.
1997	JOHANNES PIETER PRONK, Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation, for his pioneering work in using development aid to bolster democracy and human development in Africa.
1996	BOUTROS BOUTROS-GHALI, United Nations Secretary-General, for his insightful leadership of the U.N. in its work to secure peace, support democracy and foster the inclusion of civil society in development. Boutros-Ghali also played a major role in transforming the role of peacekeepers into forces that helped pave the way for democratic elections and civilian rule in many nations.
1995	RANDALL ROBINSON, Executive Director of TransAfrica, for his work in shaping popular opinion in the United States to influence U.S. foreign policy toward Africa and the Caribbean.
1994	MARTTI AHTISAARI, for his role in the U.N. peace process that led to Namibia's independence in 1990.
1993	THE STAFF OF OSLOBODJENJE, the daily newspaper of Sarajevo, for their courageous role in informing the world about the suffering in the former Yugoslavia. FAFO, the Norwegian Institute for Applied Social Science, for helping to provide the conditions for the secret talks held between the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and the government of Israel in Oslo that led to the September 1993 peace accord.
1992	JEAN-BERTRAND ARISTIDE, President of Haiti, for his fight for democracy and the preservation of human rights.
1991	DANIELLE MITTERRAND, first lady of France, for her role in creating awareness of the problems of the dispossessed minorities around the world.
1990	RICHARD DE ZOYSA, a Sri Lankan journalist who was abducted and murdered by suspected death squads in Colombo following his news accounts of the killings of students by death squads.
1989	ALEXANDER PUMPYANSKY, a Soviet journalist and editor whose work presaged the era of glasnost.
1988	GWEN LISTER, a Namibian journalist and editor who raised questions about the abuse of human rights and the illegal occupation of Namibia by the South African government.
1987	GUILLERMO CANO, a journalist from Colombia who dared to write about the drug-trafficking underworld and who later was murdered by the drug barons he helped to expose.
1986	JOSE BURGOS, a Filipino journalist who was hounded and jailed for his writings against the prevailing Marcos regime.
1985	ALLISTER SPARKS, a South African journalist who was persecuted for his outspoken writings against apartheid.