Pope Francis appreciates the efforts of the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity jury

His Holiness Pope Francis, Pope of the Catholic Church, praised the efforts of the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity jury, stressing the importance of the award’s role in addressing many humanitarian challenges..

This came while His Holiness Pope Francis, honorary recipient of the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity, hosted members of the award’s 2025 jury in the Vatican to discuss strategies for promoting peace and addressing humanitarian challenges, including combating global hunger..

Pope Francis said that there are millions of children suffering from hunger around the world, and he urged the Committee to continue its efforts and to continue seeking to address issues of human fraternity..

He added, “I deeply appreciate the work of the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity, and its commitment to promoting peace and addressing humanitarian challenges.”“.

The 2025 jury, supervised by His Excellency Counselor Mohamed Abdel Salam, Secretary-General of the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity, includes prominent leaders from around the world representing various sectors and from six countries, namely, His Excellency President Macky Sall, the former Senegalese president, and His Excellency the former Prime Minister of Spain, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, and His Eminence Cardinal Peter Kudu Appiah Turkson, Counselor The Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, His Excellency Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Their diverse experiences reflect the award’s commitment to promoting global understanding across many fields including diplomacy, economics, science, peacemaking and law..

His Excellency Counselor Mohamed Abdel Salam said that His Holiness Pope Francis’ continuous support for the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity, since its establishment, along with His Eminence the Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, confirms the excellence of this award that brings together people from different backgrounds and promotes understanding in the midst of chaos and conflicts. that our world is witnessing.

For his part, His Eminence Cardinal Peter Kudo Appiah Turkson said that Pope Francis calls on us to be messengers of hope, and the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity shows that every person can be a champion of hope and peace..

His Excellency Macky Sall said that as the committee approaches selecting the award’s honoree(s) for the year 2025, we are focusing our efforts on honoring those who truly embody the principles of human brotherhood as stipulated in the historic Human Fraternity Document signed by His Holiness Pope Francis and His Eminence the Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb..

His Excellency José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said, “We need a new strategy for our world, and through this cycle of the award, we aim to honor the brave men and women who seek peace at any cost.”“.

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said that it is clear that His Holiness Pope Francis is fully concerned with the state of our world, and his support for the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity stems from his belief in the award’s mission to remind humanity that hope exists, and that there are good people who lead the work and make change..

Her Excellency Patricia Scotland said that the meeting with His Holiness Pope Francis was a great source of inspiration for all of us and we discussed how conflict should not be humanity’s path to the future, and that peace is not just a wish but can become a reality..

The committee continues to review nominations for the sixth edition of the award, and the winners will be honored with a financial award of one million US dollars at a ceremony held in Abu Dhabi in February 2025, coinciding with the celebration of the International Day of Human Fraternity..

The Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity honors individuals and organizations from different backgrounds and around the world who work selflessly and make sustained efforts to promote the values ​​of solidarity, integrity, justice and optimism, and achieve tangible progress towards peaceful coexistence..

The Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity was launched in 2019, on the occasion of the historic meeting between His Eminence the Grand Imam, Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, and His Holiness Pope Francis, in Abu Dhabi. The annual award has so far honored winners from 11 countries, and supported their diverse humanitarian efforts in many fields that include care. Health, education, community development, refugee resettlement, and women and youth empowerment.