On 23 September 2026, Comendador Anthony Bailey, Hon Consul-General of His Majesty The King of Tonga to the Portuguese Republic, attended the 2026 Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity Award Ceremony at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon.
The €1 million Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity was awarded in 2026 to Alianza Ceibo, an Indigenous-led organisation bringing together the A’i Kofán, Siekopai, Siona and Waorani nations of the Upper Amazon.
Alianza Ceibo works across Ecuador, Peru and Colombia and protects more than two million hectares of biodiverse Amazon rainforest. Its work combines the protection of ancestral territories with community governance, education and the strengthening of the leadership of Indigenous women and young people.
The winner was selected from 304 nominations representing 73 countries by an independent international Jury chaired by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The ceremony brought together António Feijó, President of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, representatives of the winning organisation and guests from Portugal and abroad, and included a performance by the Gulbenkian Choir.
Established in 2020, the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity is the flagship international climate award of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Worth €1 million annually, the Prize recognises outstanding contributions to climate action and supports solutions capable of benefiting both people and the planet.
Previous laureates illustrate the international reach of the Prize. The inaugural award in 2020 went to Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. Subsequent recipients have included the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy; the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES); environmental and Indigenous leaders from Africa, Asia and Latin America; and pioneering initiatives in regenerative agriculture. In 2025, the Prize was awarded to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition for its work protecting one of the world’s most climate-sensitive regions.
The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation occupies a distinctive place in Portuguese and international cultural and philanthropic life. Established in Lisbon in 1956 in accordance with the will of Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian, the Armenian-born businessman, art collector and philanthropist, the Foundation works across areas including culture, education, science, sustainability and philanthropy. Its Lisbon headquarters are home to some of Portugal’s foremost cultural institutions and collections.
For the Kingdom of Tonga, the themes at the heart of the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity have particular resonance. As a Pacific Small Island Developing State, Tonga is especially exposed to the effects of climate change and has consistently advocated internationally for greater climate resilience, protection of the ocean and recognition of the particular challenges faced by vulnerable island communities.
The recognition of Indigenous-led environmental stewardship through the 2026 Prize also underlines the importance of ensuring that communities whose cultures, traditional knowledge and livelihoods are intimately connected with their natural environment remain at the centre of international responses to climate change.
The Consul-General warmly congratulated Alianza Ceibo on receiving the 2026 Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation on continuing to use this important international award to support practical, community-led responses to one of the defining global challenges of our time.
Links and social media
- Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation — Website | Instagram @fcgulbenkian | Facebook
- Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity | 2026 Prize — Alianza Ceibo
- Alianza Ceibo — Website | Facebook — Alianza Ceibo Amazonía
- Consulate-General of the Kingdom of Tonga in Portugal — Website | Instagram @tongainportugal |
- Anthony Bailey — Instagram @anthonybaileyeu
- Facebook — His Majesty’s Diplomatic Services
#Tonga #TongaPortugal #Gulbenkian #GulbenkianPrizeForHumanity #ClimateAction
