Maryam Rahmati, a reporter for Afghanistan International, has been named the 2026 bronze award winner of the Ricardo Ortega Memorial Award by the United Nations Correspondents Association.
Afghanistan International reported that Rahmati received the award in the Ricardo Ortega Memorial category for outstanding journalism in television and radio coverage of events related to the United Nations.
The Ricardo Ortega Memorial Award is presented annually in recognition of outstanding journalism in television and radio coverage of UN-related events.
In the Ricardo Ortega Memorial category, Katsyaryna Abromchyk of the Belarusian Human Rights Center won the gold award, Felipe Coelho of a Brazilian television network won silver, and Maryam Rahmati of Afghanistan International won bronze.
Rahmati said she has always sought to ensure her reporting reflects “the voices of women, victims of human rights violations, and the responses of the international community and the United Nations to developments in Afghanistan and Iran.”
In addition to covering UN-related events, Rahmati has regularly reported on public protests, human rights violations in Afghanistan and Iran, and restrictions on and suppression of women’s rights in both countries.
Maryam Rahmati is the first Afghan journalist to receive an award from the United Nations Correspondents Association.
The UN awards are scheduled to be presented to this year’s 12 winners on December 3 at the organization’s headquarters in New York.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres will also attend the awards ceremony.
