Burnside awarded Sydney peace prize

Human rights advocate Julian Burnside, who will receive the 2014 Sydney Peace Prize this week, says he will never stop working to improve the plight of asylum seekers who risk their lives to enter the country.

Mr Burnside says the award, which will be officially presented on Wednesday, is the greatest honour he's ever received.

"When you see terrible things being done and you know how the system works, it's difficult to avoid the sense that you should do something about it," he told ABC local radio on Monday.

"With my last breath I want to say `I'm glad I tried', rather than `I wish I had done something'."

Mr Burnside said he had received a congratulatory email from a previous winner, US intellectual and political activist, Noam Chomsky. Other past recipients include Desmond Tutu.

The respected barrister will be presented with the prize at Sydney Town Hall where he will also deliver the City of Sydney Peace Lecture.

He's expected to describe impact of Australia's border security measures and related laws as the "stuff of a Kafka nightmare".

The Sydney Peace Prize is Australia's only international prize for peace and is recognised globally.