The Gold Mercury International Awards

Established in 1961, the Gold Mercury Awards are one of the most historic and established global recognitions for Visionary Governance® and Ethical Leadeship. The Gold Mercury Awards® are presented to heads of state, global CEOs, individuals, companies and organisations that demonstrate foresight in eight critical areas of global governance.

Our eight global award categories

Gold Mercury International has identified eight critical global challenge areas and potential actions, inventions, projects or other responses to address them. These achievements serve as guiding principles for recognizing the contributions to advancing Sustainable Global Governance and form the criteria for selecting the Gold Mercury Award candidates, as evaluated and determined by the Award Nomination and Selection Committee.

Winners of the Gold Mercury Award® demonstrate clear and tangible efforts in addressing these global challenges. Gold Mercury International has recognized world leaders, individuals, companies, and organizations worldwide across our multiple Award categories: Global Peace & Security, Global Economic & Social Policy, Global Resources, Global Environment, Global Science & Technology, Global Health, Rule of Law & Humanitarian Affairs, and Global Culture.

Global motivations, challenges and responses of our eight award categories

Global Economic and Social Policy Award

  • The Gold Mercury Global Economic & Social Policy Award is bestowed upon individuals, institutions and states to reward their efforts and achievements in promoting sustainable social and economic policies and activities. In order to be eligible for the Gold Mercury Global Economic & Social Policy Award, the candidate may have developed or put into practice an economic model, activity or theory that promotes stability between the state and society, and social well-being.

  • Global Corporate, Economic & Financial Governance, Sustainable Industrial Development, Global Population Growth & Migration, Advancing Economic Development & Protecting Trade Among Nations.

  • -Sustainable Industrial Growth.
    -Prevention of economic shocks.
    -Promoting ethical frameworks for Corporate Governance.
    -Carrying capacity strategies.
    -Promoting sustainable migration policies.
    -Tackling brain drain in developing countries.
    -Reducing poverty, the wealth gap and social inequalities.
    -Developing strategies which counter unemployment.
    -Advancing fair trade & economic empowerment.
    -Protecting international agreements that foster cooperation.
    -Improving labour standards & protecting social welfare.

    -Facilitating economic and social mobility

Global Peace & Security Award

  • The Gold Mercury Global Peace & Security Award is given to individuals or organisations for their contributions towards peaceful co-existence and cooperation. In order to be eligible for an Award, the candidate must have made a clear, demonstrable effort towards improving relations between people and towards decreasing the likelihood of armed conflict or violence, whilst improving long term security.

  • Peace agreements, Preventing Civil Conflict, Promoting International Cooperation, Rehabilitation of Failed States, Guaranteeing Security and Rights of People.

  • -Peace agreements.

    -Peace building & reconstruction development assistance.
    -Conflict prevention and resolution.
    -Disarmament & reducing risk of weapons of mass destruction.
    -Strengthening governance and the rule of law.
    -Rehabilitation of failed states.
    -Provision of basic services by non-state actors.
    -Self-determination and institution building.
    -Prevention of mass scale conflict and genocide.
    -Reduction of international terrorism, extremism & fanaticism.
    -Responsibility to protect (R2P) initiatives.
    -Women and children security
    -Fighting exploitation & slavery.
    -Stopping child soldiers in armed conflict.
    -Reduction of organised crime & trafficking.
    -Cyber security – tackling security threats in cyberspace.

Global Science & Technology Award

  • The Gold Mercury Global Science & Technology Award is given to individuals, corporations and institutions for significant achievements and inventions that advance society. In order to be eligible for the Award, the candidates must represent responsible, forward-thinking in their contribution to scientific and technological process, recognising their obligation to society as a whole.

  • Scientific Inventions that Transform Society. Creating Sustainable Innovation and Infrastructure, Promoting Scientific Innovation, Scientific Cooperation & Knowledge Sharing, Advancement of Scientific Policy and Governance.

  • -Leapfrogging technologies or scientific discoveries that advance society at speed.
    -Investing in research and development.
    -Empowering people to innovate.
    -Reducing knowledge gap between the developed and the developing world.
    -Addressing ethical and safety issues and promoting external accountability of scientific research (i.e. genetic modification, cloning, AI applications).
    -Better integration and understanding of scientific knowledge into political decision making to advance social challenges and security.

Global Environment Award

  • The Gold Mercury Global Environment Award is given to organisations, companies and individuals for their contributions to environmental sustainability. In order to be eligible for this Award, candidates must strongly support and uphold environmentally friendly practices and have found new ways of protecting the environment.

  • Net positive and net zero initiatives, Stopping Climate Change, Eliminating Plastic and Waste Pollution, Stopping Loss of Biodiversity, Environmental Education, Preventing Environmental Disasters, Improvement of Weather System Controls.

    • Net positive strategies and policies

    • Developing green technologies of the future

    • Reducing and eliminating carbon emissions

    • Communication and education on sustainability

    • Advancing environmental governance & law

    • Researching causes and implications of climate change

    • Promoting proper habitats management

Global Resources Award

  • The Gold Mercury Global Resources Award is granted to individuals, companies and organisations that deliver new initiatives towards food security, resource renewal, preservation and equal distribution, as well as efforts towards tackling such challenges as water contamination, resource depletion, deforestation and supply shortages. In order to be eligible for the Gold Mercury Global Resources Award, the candidate must have made major contributions towards promoting these initiatives.

  • Food & Water Security, Energy Security, Scarcity of Natural Energy Resources & Materials, Land & Resource Rights Management, Natural Resources Protection.

  • - Reducing malnutrition and hunger.

    - Finding new renewable energy sources & technologies.

    - Tackling land degradation.

    - Ensuring proper management of land rights allocation.

    - Creation of resource efficiency initiatives.

    - Developing energy efficiency initiatives.

    - Creating early warning mechanisms & actions for resource protection.

    - Promoting sustainable consumption.

    - Monitoring of food supplies to prevent famines.

    - Developing water saving mechanisms.

    - Protecting sweet water reserves.

    -Facilitating economic and social mobility

Global Health Award

  • The Gold Mercury Global Health Award rewards individuals, organisations and corporations for significant achievements within the health sector. In order to be eligible for an Award in this category, the candidate must have made crucial advances or technological progress in one or more areas that have implications for people’s health and well-being.

  • Developing Disease Prevention Mechanisms, Controlling the Spread of Diseases and Unhealthy Lifestyles, Mental Health, Improving Access to Health Care, Advancing technological data and AI management of Health.

  • - Use of AI and technology in health

    - Addressing ways to counter unhealthy lifestyles

    - Controlling the global spread of diseases

    - Promoting international cooperation and research sharing

    - Improving health care systems access

    - Training of new medical staff

    - Infrastructure & technology projects to deliver healthcare

    - Prevention technologies, practices and education

    - Scientific cooperation in health sector

    - Discoveries relating to understanding or curing disease

    - Improvements in sanitation and nutrition

    - Maternal Health

Global Culture Award

  • The Gold Mercury Global Culture Award recognises and rewards initiatives that promote the work of individuals in arts, media and culture and the promotion of cultural diversity and sustainability. In order to be eligible for an Award in this category, the candidate must have shown a true commitment to advancing and protecting the creative arts, ethical media and AI use practices, education, cultural understanding and the honest, impartial and open communication of information to the public.

  • Proper use of Artificial Intelligence in Culture, Media and the Arts, Preserving and Promoting the World’s Cultural Heritage, Promoting Education for All, Cultural Solidarity, Diversity & Freedom, Promoting Ethics, Philosophy and Sustainable Thought Leadership.

  • - Artistic achievement in the arts

    - Protection of artistic rights

    - Proper governance and regulation for the use of Artificial Intelligence

    - Developing new systems for advancing education and learning

    - Innovation in curriculum development

    - Fact checking technologies for news, media and AI

    - Improving literacy and access to education

    - Protecting indigenous cultures

    - Ensuring youth participation in education, culture and society

    - Use of the arts, sports and media for goodwill

    - Ensuring freedom of information and expression

    - Peaceful interfaith and intercultural dialogue and tolerance

    - Promoting universal values and Global Citizenship

    - New theories or frameworks for social progress

    - New paradigm shift ideas to advance humanity and society

    - Tackling trafficking of cultural goods

    - Promoting access to arts, literature and music

    - Protection of intangible assets and heritage for the future

Rule of Law and Humanitarian Affairs Award

  • The Gold Mercury Rule of Law & Humanitarian Affairs Award is given to individuals and organisations in recognition of their efforts in the fields of international and national law and humanitarian affairs. In order to be eligible for an Award in this category, the candidate must have contributed to advancing the rule of law, international cooperation, foreign policy and diplomacy or advanced the basic human rights of a certain population.

  • Advancing the Rule of Law around the World, Enforcing the Rule of Law, Human Rights Advancement.

  • - New frameworks and laws that advance the Rule of Law

    - Promoting new legal frameworks for Human Rights

    - Improving international monitoring and enforcement

    - Educating and awareness raising for Human Rights

    - Protecting vulnerable people against human rights violations (i.e. refugees, women and children, domestic workers, LGBT, etc.)

    - Protecting indigenous people

    - Improving law enforcement and international cooperation

    - Strengthening international courts and institutions

    - Prosecuting international crimes

    - Increasing inclusiveness of international treaties

“The Section of International Relations of the Communist Party of the USSR aims to develop international cooperation in commerce, cultural connections, science, and technology. By receiving the Gold Mercury Award, I want to assure you that the Soviet Union will relentlessly continue this particular course of action in the interests of the Soviet people and our partners and in the name of strengthening peace worldwide.”

Leonid Brezhnev, Leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union