PM Mottley breaking international barriers

Barbados’ first female Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley continues to break boundaries internationally.

Her latest achievement, the prestigious Ewald von Kleist Award was much more significant than the international recognition of her relentless advocacy to advance climate action, justice, and security.

In giving the award, the Munich Security Conference (MSC) – the world’s leading forum for debating international security policy – demonstrated their acceptance of the position taken by the Prime Minister, that without immediate and decisive action to mitigate the impact of the climate change crisis, global justice and security is unlikely to be achievable. This is a first for the MSC.

The selection of Prime Minister Mottley to receive the Ewald von Kleist Award also marks two other firsts for the Munich Security Conference. It was the first time a black woman and the first time a Caribbean national was honoured by that institution.

But how important is the Ewald von Kleist Award?

The award is named after the German-born publisher and founder of the Munich Security Conference, Ewald von Kleist, who in 1962 founded an annual forum on security and defence in the western world during the Cold War, especially at the height of the Cuba crisis, and the lack of an independent transatlantic forum to discuss pressing issues of security and defence policy outside official channels became apparent. After the collapse of the Warsaw Pact and the fall of the Berlin wall, the meeting’s remit broadened and became known as the Munich Security Conference.

The award was introduced in 2009 to honor the leading personalities in security politics who have made an outstanding contribution to international understanding and conflict resolution. Former winners include legendary figures like Dr. Henry Kissinger, the former United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, former West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, former French president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

During its main conference earlier this month, the MSC assembled more than 450 senior decision-makers as well as thought leaders from around the world, including heads of state, ministers, leading personalities of international and non-governmental organizations, high-ranking representatives from business, the media, academia, and civil society to debate pressing issues of international security policy.

Also presented with the award this year was John Kerry, the United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.

Winners of the Ewald von Kleist Award are:
2024: Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados and John Kerry, the United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
2023: Finland and Sweden
2022: Jens Stoltenberg, former NATO Secretary General
2021: Angela Merkel, former German Chancellor
2020: United Nations
2019: Alexis Tsipras (former Greek Prime Minister) and Zoran Zaev (former North Macedonian Prime Minister)
2018: John McCain, former United States Senator
2017: Joachim Gauck, former German President
2016: Christina Figueres (former UNFCCC Executive Secretary) and Laurent Fabius (former French Prime Minister)
2015: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
2014: Helmut Schmidt (former West German Chancellor) and Valéry Giscard d’Estaing (former French President)
2013: Brent Snowcroft, former US National Security Advisor
2012: Joseph Lieberman, former US Senator
2010: Javier Solana, former NATO Secretary General
2009: Dr. Henry Kissinger, former US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor

About The Author