Badr Jafar Honoured with 2026 UN Changemaker Award
The UAE Special Envoy receives prestigious recognition for his three decades of work harnessing business, philanthropy and partnerships to drive sustainable development.
Badr Jafar, UAE Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Business and Philanthropy and Chief Executive of Crescent Enterprises, has been honoured with the 2026 Changemakers Award at the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly. The recognition was presented during the High-Level Week by the Global Partnerships Forum in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Tonga to the United Nations.
The award celebrates Mr Jafar’s leadership in driving meaningful change through the interconnection of business, philanthropy, and strategic partnerships to accelerate sustainable and inclusive development. He joins an distinguished cohort of honourees including José Ramos-Horta, President of Timor-Leste and Nobel Peace Prize laureate; Dr Ann Aerts, Head of the Novartis Foundation; and Dr Srgjan Kerim, former President of the UN General Assembly.
Amir Dossal, Founder and President of the Global Partnerships Forum, presented the award, noting that Mr Jafar embodies the essence of changemaking through his demonstration of collaboration between business and philanthropic sectors. “His leadership and commitment serve as an inspiration to professionals across sectors, encouraging them to continue working toward sustainable and inclusive development,” Mr Dossal stated.
In his response, Mr Jafar emphasised that meaningful change emerges from an integrated ecosystem where government establishes frameworks, business develops and scales solutions, and philanthropy bridges the two by taking calculated risks. “The UAE firmly believes in this whole-of-society approach because we have seen it work firsthand both at home and with our partners around the world,” he remarked.
Throughout the General Assembly’s High-Level Week, Mr Jafar has convened a series of special meetings at the UAE Mission addressing critical global themes: investment in water sector development ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi; strategic philanthropy’s role in supporting the African Union’s Agenda 2063; and artificial intelligence’s contribution to inclusive growth, partnered with Emirates Foundation.
His engagement with the United Nations extends to 2010, when he founded the Pearl Initiative in cooperation with the UN Office for Partnerships to promote corporate governance and transparency across the Gulf region. His appointment as Special Envoy by H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, reflects the UAE’s commitment to strengthening diplomatic standing through cross-sector partnerships aligned with the “We the UAE 2031” vision and UAE Centennial 2071.
Source: WAM News Agency