Abu Dhabi: António Guterres, the 9th Secretary-General of the United Nations, who took office on January 1, 2017 and Latifa ibn Ziaten, a French of Moroccan origin campaigner against radicalisation of young French Arabs, won the 2020 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, The Higher Committee for Human Fraternity (HCHF) announced on Wednesday.
The award presentation ceremony will be virtually held at the Founder’s Memorial on Thursday, in the presence of Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar Dr Ahmad al Tayeb and the winners.
The award, created in 2019 to recognise outstanding work by individuals or entities in creating breakthroughs and driving human progress, has previously been awarded to Pope Francis and Grand Imam of Al Azhar Dr Ahmad al Tayeb.
The two leaders were presented with the award following their historic signing in Abu Dhabi of the Document on Human Fraternity, which calls for all people to put aside difference in pursuit of progress through understanding, reconciliation and peace.
The 2020 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, which includes a prize of one million dollars, is the first time the award has been opened to nominations.
The award is named in homage to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, the late ruler of Abu Dhabi and founder of the United Arab Emirates, whose values of humility, humanitarianism and respect epitomize the enduring ideals it seeks to celebrate.
Nominations were made by members of government, former heads of state, Supreme Court judges, UN leaders, leading academic and cultural figures, HCHF members and international NGO heads.
The recipients of the 2020 award were decided by an HCHF-appointed independent committee of experts. The committee included:
• Catherine Samba-Panza, former President of the Central African Republic
• Muhammad Jusuf Kalla, former Vice-President of the Republic of Indonesia
• Rt. Hon. Michaelle Jean, 27th Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada
• Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.
• Adama Dieng, former UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide
