The 2026 International Zayed Award for Human Fraternity was jointly awarded to the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Afghan education advocate Zarqa Yaftali was also named a recipient of the 2026 Zayed Award. The award recognizes the ongoing process of peace, dialogue, and conflict resolution embodied by the Armenia-Azerbaijan agreement. The award ceremony is scheduled for February 4, coinciding with the International Day of Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi. This is the first time the award has honored recipients from the Caucasus and Afghanistan.
about 2 months ago
The International Zayed Award for Human Fraternity 2026 has been awarded to the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, signed on August 8, 2025, in the United States, and to Afghan education advocate Zarqa Yaftali.1
The award ceremony is scheduled for February 4 in Abu Dhabi on the International Day of Human Fraternity.1
The agreement is recognized as a "historic decision" ending decades of conflict and humanitarian suffering in the Caucasus.1
It represents an ongoing "process of peace, dialogue, normalization, and conflict resolution," with reconciliation described as a continuous journey.1
This marks the first time the award honors recipients from the Caucasus region.1
Zarqa Yaftali, a advocate for girls' education in Afghanistan, has provided resources, psychosocial support, and services to over 100,000 people.1
Her work offers hope to women and children in challenging conditions, including online schooling and leadership courses.1
She described the award as a "strong and meaningful message" for Afghan women, bringing courage and hope.1
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called the award a "great honour" for efforts supporting the historic agreement.1
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev highlighted its significance, noting support from Pope Leo XIV and Ahmed Al-Tayeb.1
Yaftali expressed being "deeply moved" by the recognition.1
Zayed Award Secretary General Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam emphasized promoting dialogue and coexistence, ending four decades of tension in the Caucasus.1
UNICEF's Catherine Russell praised Yaftali's commitment to women's empowerment amid challenges.1
Uzbekistan's Saida Mirziyoyeva noted it reflects a global commitment to peace and human dignity.1
Inspired by the 2019 Document on Human Fraternity signed by Pope Francis and Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the award honors builders of peace and compassion.1
Rooted in Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan's legacy, it has recognized 19 recipients from 19 countries since its establishment.1
The independent jury includes Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça.1
Evaluate Catholic Church’s role in promoting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan
The Catholic Church has consistently positioned itself as a moral advocate for peace in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, particularly over Nagorno-Karabakh, through papal addresses, diplomatic interventions, and appeals emphasizing dialogue, humanitarian aid, cease-fires, and respect for religious freedoms. From Pope John Paul II's early calls for negotiation to Pope Francis's repeated invocations during major liturgical addresses and Pope Leo XIV's endorsement of recent accords, the Church's role is characterized by persistent, non-partisan diplomacy rooted in Gospel values of reconciliation and human dignity.
The Church's engagement traces back to the 1990s amid escalating tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1995, Pope John Paul II addressed Armenia's ambassador, expressing hope for a "negotiated settlement" to the confrontation with Azerbaijan, stressing that "violence is never a valid way of solving the disputes which arise between peoples" and urging attention to "urgent humanitarian needs." This set a precedent for viewing force as futile and negotiation—potentially with international mediation—as essential.
By 1999, in a joint peace appeal with Georgia's Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, John Paul II highlighted the Caucasus region's volatility, including Nagorno-Karabakh, as a "threat to world peace." The appeal called on governments and international bodies to assure sovereignty and security, warning that local conflicts could spark "global catastrophe" and decrying terrorism's rise. In 2005, addressing Armenia's president, he reiterated hopes for "enduring peace" in Nagorno-Karabakh—his birthplace—through "patient dialogue" and "active international mediation," while noting positive Catholic-Armenian Apostolic relations as a model for coexistence. These interventions underscored the Church's role as a bridge-builder, leveraging ecumenical ties and moral authority to foster dialogue amid ethnic and territorial strife.
Pope Francis amplified this tradition with direct references to the conflict in public addresses. In 2016, ahead of visits to the Caucasus, he affirmed plans to travel to Georgia and Azerbaijan to "encourage hope and paths of peace," emphasizing that peace demands "great tenacity and continuous steps, starting with small steps." His 2020 Angelus praised a fragile humanitarian ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, urging its renewal despite vulnerabilities, and expressing sorrow for lost lives, suffering, and destroyed "homes and places of worship."
This theme persisted in major blessings. The 2023 Christmas Urbi et Orbi invoked "definitive peace" between the nations, advanced by "humanitarian initiatives," refugee returns "in legality and security," and "reciprocal respect for religious traditions and the places of worship of each community." Echoing this in Easter 2024, Francis encouraged ongoing discussions for dialogue, aid to the displaced, worship site protections, and a "definitive peace agreement" with international support. Diplomats like Archbishop Gabriele Caccia reinforced these in 2022 and 2023 UN statements: in 2022, hoping negotiations yield "a true peace, founded on mutual respect [and] encounter," with agreements safeguarding religious sites; in 2023, urging "dialogue and negotiations... with the support of the International Community" to end the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis. Francis's approach wove peace advocacy into broader mercy works (cf. Mt 25:31-46), portraying the Church as a "pilgrim of brotherhood."
Pope Leo XIV, elected in 2025, continues this legacy. In his 2026 address to the diplomatic corps, he cited the "Joint Declaration of Peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, signed last August" as a "seed of peace" to cultivate, expressing hope it paves "the way for a just and lasting peace in the South Caucasus" by resolving outstanding issues. This builds on prior efforts, signaling Vatican optimism amid fragile progress and reinforcing the Church's role in nurturing diplomatic breakthroughs.
The Church's interventions consistently emphasize several pillars:
These align with broader teachings on fraternity, as in the Synod's endorsement of interreligious dialogue for peace—though not conflict-specific—and human dignity's inviolability amid violence.
In evaluation, the Church excels as a prophetic voice: impartial, persistent, and influential through soft power rather than political leverage. Its appeals have coincided with truces and declarations, amplifying humanitarian concerns and moral imperatives. Yet, as a non-state actor, impact relies on global resonance; sources note fragility and unresolved tensions. The Church's role endures as a leaven for peace, calling all to "steps on the path of reconciliation, which generates hope."