PM Mia Mottley set to receive Zayed Award for Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi today

The Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, is among the three people named on Friday as an honouree of the 2025 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity. Other recipients include NGO World Central Kitchen founded by Chef Jose Andres and 15-year-old Ethiopian American investor Heman Bekele who developed a cost-effective soap to prevent and treat early-stage skin cancer. 

The prize will be awarded today (February 4, 2025), which in the UN recognised International Day of Human Fraternity, during a ceremony in Abu Dhabi.  

2025 co-honorees @miaamormottley, @WCKitchen, and Heman Bekele have exemplified the values of human fraternity, working towards a more peaceful and unified world.

Join us on February 4 at 7PM GST for the live ceremony on our YouTube Channel.#ZayedAwardforHumanFraternity pic.twitter.com/68kAGOc8km

— Zayed Award for Human Fraternity (@ZayedAward) February 3, 2025

This annual international award carries a prize of US$1 million and it honours organisations or individuals who work round the clock to bridge divides and create human connection at international level.  

According to the information, Mottley was recognised for her work as a champion of climate change and her leadership on climate action and policy, having launched the significant Bridgetown Initiative in 2022. This initiative calls for decisive actions to reform international financial systems to better support climate-vulnerable countries.  

She is known as the most influential leader of the Caribbean, being the first female Prime Minister of Barbados since 2018. PM Mia Mottley is leading her country towards renewable energy and has pioneered debt-for-climate swaps, allowing nations to reallocate national debt toward climate resilience project.  

The awardees were announced during a news conference and Mottley, speaking via video call, said that she was honoured but did not expect to receive it.  

Zayed Award for Human Fratenity 

The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, a pivotal initiative born from the historic Document on Human Fraternity, was signed by His Eminence Prof. Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, and His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church, in Abu Dhabi in 2019. This prestigious award is bestowed annually upon individuals or organizations that markedly advance peaceful coexistence and forge communication and harmony among diverse communities. It addresses critical societal issues at both local and global scales. 

Upon announcing the honorees, Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, remarked, “Year after year, we are immensely proud of the award’s ability to spotlight exceptional laureates who confront some of the most pressing challenges of our time—from enhancing societal resilience against climate change and providing humanitarian aid, to driving youth-led innovations in medicine.” 

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, 2025 judging committee member and Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, said: “The honourees have gone the extra mile to make a difference in the everyday lives of people around the globe, which promises to yield long-term benefits for humanity as a whole.”