Hilton Humanitarian Prize Juror; International Public Servant
Her Majesty Queen Noor is an international public servant and advocate for cross-cultural understanding, conflict prevention and recovery issues such as refugees, missing persons, poverty, climate change and disarmament. Her peace-building work has focused on the Middle East, the Balkans, Central and Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa.
Queen Noor’s work in Jordan and West Asia has, through the Noor Al Hussein and the King Hussein Foundations, concentrated on national and regional human security in the areas of education, conservation, sustainable development, human rights and cross-cultural understanding. The Foundations’ programs have become regional models for conservation and sustainable development providing training and capacity building in the Middle East.
She is patron of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Scotia Group, a member of the Ocean Elders and WEF’s Friends of Ocean Action, founding and emeritus president of BirdLife International, and trustee emeritus of Conservation International.
Queen Noor has been an outspoken voice for the protection of civilians in conflict and displaced persons around the world. She has focused extensively on West Asian refugee and displaced persons’ human rights, and in the Balkans since 1996. She is a member of the International Commission on Missing Persons, the leading provider of DNA-assisted identifications, and related justice and reconciliation best practices to countries worldwide dealing with natural catastrophes, human rights abuses and conflict. She has also been an expert advisor to the United Nations focusing on implementation of the MDGs in Central Asia and on victims of Colombia’s conflicts.
Queen Noor is president of the United World Colleges, a trustee of the Aspen Institute and Refugees International, and advisor to Search for Common Ground. Queen Noor was advisor and global advocate for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and was a founding leader of Global Zero.
In recognition of her efforts to advance development, conservation, democracy and peace, the Queen has been awarded numerous awards and honorary doctorates in international relations, law and humane letters.