An Afghan campaigner championing the rights of women and children to have an education in her homeland and the architects of a historic peace pact between Armenia and Azerbaijan were on Monday named winners of the UAE's annual $1 million humanitarian prize.
Zarqa Yaftali was honoured with the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity for her crucial work to provide educational resources, psychological support and other community services to more than 100,000 people in Afghanistan against the backdrop of strict Taliban rule.
The global prize – which was established after the late Pope Francis's landmark visit to the UAE in 2019 – has also recognised the signing of a deal last year aimed at end decades of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, neighbouring countries in the South Caucasus.
The 2026 prize winners are the first recipients from Afghanistan and the Caucasus. They will receive their awards at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi next month.
Beacon of hope
Ms Yaftali said she felt “deeply excited and overwhelmed with emotion” after being told of her award success.
She said the recognition sent a “a powerful and meaningful message”, offering a ray of hope to female pupils and students who have been banned from attending schools and universities since the Taliban's return to power.
The education ban was among a series of restrictions placed on women's rights since the Taliban takeover in 2021, following the US-led international withdrawal.
Draconian measures beyond limits on education have included bans on women taking jobs, appearing in public without a full-body covering, or niqab, and travelling without a mahram – a male guardian – as well as participating in sports.
Quest for peace
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From left, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, US President Donald Trump and Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan join hands at the White House in August 2025, after successful peace talks. EPA -
For more than three decades, Armenia and Azerbaijan had wrestled over the fate of Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region with a mainly ethnic Armenian population. EPA -
Mr Pashinyan, pictured, and Mr Aliyev have landed a Zayed Human Fraternity award for their roles in orchestrating the historic peace deal, an accolade Azerbaijan's President described as 'a great honour'. EPA -
Mr Aliyev at the White House. Both he and Mr Pashinyan will receive their Zayed Human Fraternity awards at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi in February. EPA -
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is all smiles after the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia signed the peace deal. EPA -
The end of the trilateral signing event at the White House, for which the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders will receive a Zayed Human Fraternity award in Abu Dhabi. Reuters
The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan have welcomed the award recognition, which comes after a peace agreement was made in the White House in August, in the presence of US President Donald Trump.
The countries had previously participated in peace talks in Abu Dhabi in July, setting the stage for the milestone agreement.
For more than three decades, Armenia and Azerbaijan had wrestled over the fate of Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region with a mainly ethnic Armenian population.
They fought two wars – in the 1990s and in 2020 – over the region.
More than 6,500 people were killed in six weeks of fighting in the autumn of 2020, which ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire.
Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia, called the award a “great honour” in recognition of the work undertaken to help establish peace.
“That we [Armenia and Azerbaijan] are sharing this award reflects a mutual and collective achievement,” he said.
Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, extended his gratitude to the award's judging committee for honouring efforts to establish peace in the South Caucasus region and the wider world.
The 2026 winners were selected by an independent global judging committee comprising: Charles Michel, former president of the European Council and previous prime minister of Belgium; Moussa Faki Mahamat, former chairman of the African Union Commission and former prime minister of Chad; Unicef executive director Catherine Russell; Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the administration of the President of Uzbekistan; Jose Tolentino de Mendonca, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education at the Holy See, and Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary General of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.
“This year, the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity committee selected the historic peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which embodies the award’s mission and objectives in promoting and fostering a culture of dialogue and coexistence, marking a pivotal milestone in advancing global peace and a major diplomatic achievement," said Judge Abdelsalam.
Ms Russell of Unicef spoke of why the award panel had sought to shine a light on the critical work of Ms Yaftali.
“The committee was honoured to recognise Ms Zarqa Yaftali for her tireless efforts and leadership in protecting Afghan girls’ right to education and advancing women’s empowerment, despite facing tremendous challenges,” she said.
The 2026 recipients will be honoured on February 4 – coinciding with the UN-recognised International Day of Human Fraternity – at the annual awards ceremony to be held at Founder’s Memorial in Abu Dhabi.
Since 2019, the awards committee has honoured 19 recipients from 19 countries, including honorary winners Pope Francis and Dr Ahmed Al Tayeb, The Grand Imam of Al Azhar, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Egyptian cardiac surgeon Prof Sir Magdi Yacoub and American food relief organisation World Central Kitchen.
