U.N. chief and Moroccan-French activist win Zayed Award for Human Fraternity

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Moroccan-French activist, Latifa Ibn Ziaten, are the joint winners of the 2021 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.

The global award recognises individuals who are committed to fostering conditions for peaceful co-existence, and is aligned to the humanitarian values shared by the UAE’s founder, the late Sheikh Zayed.

It was created following the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity (DHF), by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al Sharif, Dr Ahmed el-Tayeb, and the Head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, in Abu Dhabi, in 2019.

Latifa Ibn Ziaten is a mother and Moroccan-French activist, dedicated to raising awareness against escalating religious extremism, following her own personal tragedy of losing her son, Imad, to a terrorist attack, in 2012.

Since then, Latifa has become a well-known civil society activist, in France and beyond; working with families and communities to prevent youth radicalization and spreading the message of peace, dialogue, and mutual respect.

As Secretary-General of the U.N. since 2017, António Guterres has embarked on a dedicated mandate to address issues relating to world peace and security.

Guterres has addressed a number of impactful initiatives, including: countering hate speech and violence; modernizing UN peacekeeping practices; the Global Cease Fire Appeal and Initiative during the Covid-19 pandemic – resulting in 170 member and observer states heeding that call to sign up.

A virtual ceremony will be held at the Founder’s Memorial in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, which will be live-streamed from 5:30 pm.

The February 4 awards ceremony also coincides with the first International Day of Human Fraternity, which was adopted by a UN General Assembly resolution, in December 2020.

This date is now an official day dedicated to raising awareness and recognising the efforts of those who promote peace, harmony, and intercultural dialogue, around the world. The date was chosen to coincide with the 2019 signing of the Document on Human Fraternity.

This year’s award is the first time that nominees from all over the world could be submitted to be assessed by an independent judging committee, formed by the Higher Committee for Human Fraternity (HCHF) and made up of international experts.