Amnesty International today gave Greta Thunberg and her school strike movement their annual “Ambassador of Conscience” award, citing their “unique leadership and courage in the defense of human rights”.
Amnesty International Secretary General Komi Naidu presented the highest human rights award to Thunberg and other activists in Washington, DC.
The award is "for all the brave young people who are fighting for their future," Thunberg said.
The 16-year-old girl urged children and adults to join the climate strike, scheduled for Monday, saying: "See you in the streets."
Last week, Naidu wrote to more than 30,000 schools around the world, asking them to allow their students to join the collective strike.
The weekly protests by Thunberg outside Stockholm's parliament, which began in August 2018, have inspired strikes in other cities around the world.
Thunberg is scheduled to participate in the UN Climate Forum for Youth, as well as the UN Secretary-General's Climate Action Summit on 23 January.