Call for nominations: 2026 Global Citizen Award. HENLEY & PARTNERS GROUP HOLDINGS LTD LONDON, April 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Leading international residence and citizenship planning firm Henley & Partners, in partnership with Andan Foundation, a Swiss non-profit humanitarian organization, is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the 2026 Global Citizen Award. Created in 2014, the Global Citizen Award is a tribute that honors remarkable individuals working to advance any one of the global challenges affecting humanity today - challenges that transcend national boundaries and cannot be resolved by any one country acting alone. The 2026 laureate will be selected by a distinguished, independent committee and honored at the Global Citizen Award ceremony which forms part of the annual Henley & Partners Global Citizenship Conference. Henley & Partners Chairman and Founder of the Andan Foundation, Dr Christian H. Kaelin, says the awardee's work needs to demonstrate a positive impact on the lives of vulnerable social groups, particularly with a connection to migration-related issues. "The Global Citizen Award is open worldwide to those working in a field with a direct link to the issues they are looking to affect. The committee is looking for remarkable and inspirational individuals who demonstrate vision, courage, and innovation in driving global change, and whose actions and outlook contribute to a more just, peaceful, connected, and tolerant world." The selection process is based on a majority decision of the Award Committee. The award itself consists of a bespoke sculptural medal designed by leading Italian artist Antonio Nocera, an award certificate signed by the Chairman of the Global Citizen Award Committee, and a monetary prize of USD 20,000, which goes towards supporting the awardee's humanitarian efforts. In addition, Henley & Partners commits to working closely with the awardee for a period of one year, raising awareness of their work and supporting the selected project through the firm's network of more than 70 offices worldwide. Since its inception, the Global Citizen Award has honored many remarkable individuals, including German entrepreneur Harald Höppner, who set up the refugee humanitarian aid project Sea Watch, Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman, Founder of the Gift of the Givers Foundation, Africa's largest disaster relief organization and Monique Morrow, Co-Founder of The Humanized Internet, a digital identity project that aims to bring hope to the estimated 1.1 billion individuals in the world who cannot prove their legal identity. Diep Vuong, Co-Founder and President of the Pacific Links Foundation, was awarded for her work in Southeast Asia campaigning for the rights of those enslaved by human trafficking, while Prof. Dr. Padraig O'Malley received his Global Citizen Award in recognition of his work on conflict resolution and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, South Africa, and Iraq. Zannah Bukar Mustapha was honoured for the psychological, educational, spiritual and other developmental support he provided to the children and widows affected by the insurgency in north-eastern Nigeria, and Mohamed Nasheed, former President of the Maldives and the current Secretary-General of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, was acknowledged for his pioneering work as a human rights activist and advocate for climate action. Most recently, Professor Spyridon Flogaitis was presented with the 2025 Global Citizen Award for his work in advancing public law, legal education, and institutional reform, and for strengthening governance and access to justice in regions facing democratic fragility. Reflecting on the award's legacy and impact, Dr. Kaelin explains that the ideals of global citizenship have always been central to Henley & Partners. Through its collaboration with the Andan Foundation, the firm extends vital support to individuals displaced by conflict, war, and climate-related crises. "Every Global Citizen Award laureate has inspired us with their courage in tackling challenges that many consider insurmountable," he says. "The issues we face today extend far beyond local communities or national borders. Now, more than ever, it is vital to support those who are making a real difference in the lives of vulnerable people around the world." Nominations close on Wednesday, 6 May 2026. You can submit your nomination online here or send it to [email protected]. Media Contact: Sarah Nicklin Group Head of Public Relations & Communications [email protected] Mobile: +27 72 464 8965

EU institution compared to 'Taliban' at golden passport conference. The College of Europe, the Alma Mater of senior EU civil servants and judiciary, was criticised at Henley & Partners' London conference An institution with close ties to the EU was twice likened to the Taliban at a conference organised in London by Henley & Partners, a consultancy that helps HNWs acquire 'golden passports' and residency permits around the world. The comparison was made by two conference speakers in the wake of a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling in April, which found that Malta's citizenship by investment programme was unlawful and must therefore be discontinued. The scheme, which launched in 2015 having been set up by the Maltese government with help from Henley, allowed investors to acquire Maltese citizenship in exchange for a one-off payment of €600,000 and purchasing or renting a property. The ECJ said the scheme had made 'the acquisition of nationality a mere commercial transaction'. Since Malta is a member of the EU, its citizens enjoy all the benefits of EU citizenship, including rights to travel, live and work throughout member states. The scheme has been described as a 'back door' to EU citizenship. Several speakers at the Henley conference yesterday were critical of the ECJ decision in favour of the EU Commission. 'The EU Commission versus Malta case was very interesting because it was based on the direct denial of the law as it stands,' said Dimitry Kochenov, a Soviet-born Dutch professor of legal studies at the Central European University. 'This means it was quite embarrassing for [...] the lawyers of the commission, to defend this policy for the political standpoint that goes against what your institution is about.' Kochenov added: 'There are three constitutional jurisdictions on the European continent which never subscribe to the ECHR [European Convention on Human Rights]: Belarus, the Russian Federation, and the European Union.' Kochenov, who said he had previously taught at the College of Europe - an elite post-graduate institution established by the founding fathers of the EU - referred to it as 'the Taliban'. (The College of Europe was the most represented alma mater among senior EU civil servants, according to a sample compiled by Politico in 2021.) This characterisation was echoed by Prof. Carl Baudenbacher, a former judge on the court of the European Free Trade Association, who questioned the way ECJ judges are selected. 'The first question is, "Who becomes a judge on the Court of Justice of the European Union?"' said Baudenbacher. 'Go to the bios on their website and you will find plenty of former bureaucrats and officers of state who are used to not always telling the truth.' In reference to the College of Europe, he added: 'They have gone through this school in Bruges, a Taliban-like institution, where they learn about the pure doctrine. If they behave nicely, they may end up as judges on the [European] Court of Justice.' 'We will probably see more and more governments not being prepared to accept the authority of such international courts,' Baudenbacher predicted. Also speaking on the panel, entitled 'Borders, Business, and Balance: Investment Migration in a Shifting Geopolitical Landscape', was Rob Larity, chief investment officer at asset manager Bespoke Group. Larity advised attendees of the conference to look at prospective countries of residence the same way they would look at investment opportunities. He said: 'I would set this framework when identifying opportunities: Ask yourself who are the emerging jurisdictions, just like what are the emerging technologies and businesses, and the people behind them?' Earlier in the day, Dominic Volek, group head of private clients at Henley & Partners unveiled the Global Investment Risk and Resilience Index. The index measures the level to which different countries are vulnerable to risk. Volek said: 'Nations that host citizenship programmes consistently outperformed on the resilience metrics. This isn't coincidental, it's structural.' 'They reconceptualise government financing, replacing sovereign debt with what we call sovereign equity, rather than borrowing against future tax revenues, nations attract immediate capital investments, while acquiring economically productive citizens that generate sustained value creation.' Malta generated €1.4 billion from its 'Golden Passport' scheme from its inception in 2015 to April 2025. Its national debt is expected to have risen slightly this year, but remain below 50 per cent of GDP. Small and prosperous countries such as Switzerland, Iceland and Denmark were some of the highest performing in the index, thanks in part to investments in renewable technology that are judged to make them resilient to climate threats. Outside Europe, Singapore was noted for its low risk and high performance environment. On the other end of the scale were nations like Pakistan and Iran, where political instability and vulnerability to climate change were considered to be significant risks. North American nations Canada and the US were not as high in the index as some northern European countries, owing to high national debt and political volatility, respectively. Volek pointed out Eastern Europe as a region of great promise, with nations like Estonia, Czechia and Slovenia being stable but inexpensive compared to the Scandinavian countries at the top of the scale. Henley's Global Citizenship & Investment Conference, which continues today, is taking place at the Dorchester and is hosted by Alex Gray, a former contestant on the popular BBC TV show, The Traitors. However, Gray dismissed any suggestion that her appointment to host an event promoting a fluid approach to national allegiance could have been a subtle in-joke. 'They asked me back because I had done an event for them before,' she said. Christian Maddock is a staff writer and researcher, whose work has also featured in the Daily Mail.

Switzerland, nordics and Singapore lead new Global Investment Risk and Resilience Index. LONDON, Oct. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Switzerland is ranked the world's most resilient country in the new Global Investment Risk and Resilience Index, with Denmark, Norway, Singapore, and Sweden completing the Top Five. The index is the first of its kind to measure countries' exposure to geopolitical, economic, and climate risks as well as their capacity to adapt and recover, revealing how resilience is increasingly concentrated in smaller, highly adaptive states. Developed by global residence and citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners in partnership with the AI-powered analytics platform AlphaGeo, the index provides investors, families, and governments with a systematic framework to navigate a world of overlapping risks - from geopolitical conflict and inflation to technological disruption and climate change. Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners, says "by combining risk exposure and resilience capacity into a single score, it identifies for investors, businesses and families the countries that are best placed to preserve wealth and generate long-term value, and it gives governments a benchmark to measure competitiveness." Switzerland ranks 1st worldwide, driven by exceptionally low risk and world-leading innovation, governance, and social metrics. Close behind, the Nordic countries of Denmark (2nd ), Norway (3rd ), and Sweden (5th) exemplify how equitable growth, robust institutions, and forward-looking social policy create world-leading resilience. Singapore takes 4th place with the lowest legal and regulatory risk globally. South Sudan (226th ), Lebanon (225th ), Haiti (224th ), Sudan (223rd ), and Pakistan (222nd) sit at the bottom of the index. From the G7 to BRICS: Diverging Paths of Risk and Resilience Applied to global investment conditions, the framework recognizes that exposure and preparedness should be treated as distinct yet equally important factors. As Dr. Parag Khanna, Founder and CEO of AlphaGeo, explains, "High risk is not always negative if matched by strong resilience, while high resilience can conceal vulnerabilities, especially in advanced economies now facing political or fiscal pressures. Adaptation is the new imperative. The societies most committed to building resilience - through innovation, governance, and climate preparedness - will attract investment, talent, and long-term growth." The G7 economies continue to stand out for their stability, balancing relatively low risk with strong resilience, led by Germany, which ranks 10th globally, driven by climate readiness, economic complexity, and innovation. Germany is followed by Canada (13th ), the UK (23rd ), France (29th ), the US (32nd ), Japan (35th ), and Italy (48th). Collectively, the G7 demonstrates how robust institutions and adaptive capacity anchor global economic influence. Beyond the G7, China and Russia present somewhat contrasting profiles. China (49th) is categorized as a Favorable Outlook investment destination, where moderate risk is offset by substantial resilience built on investment capacity and innovation strength. Russia (94th ), however, faces a more precarious position: although classified as high resilience, it is also high risk, driven by political instability and regulatory uncertainty, which places it in the Cautious Potential investment band. Their BRICS counterparts, South Africa (145th ), Brazil (150th ), and India (155th ), exhibit moderate resilience weakened by elevated risks. Strength Beyond Scale: Small States Showing Big Resilience Beyond the overall leaders, the index highlights standout performers across key parameters, with smaller nations continuing to shine. Luxembourg (6th) and Finland (7th) excel through transparent governance, climate resilience, and sustainable policies. They are joined by Greenland (8th ), the Netherlands (9th ), and Germany (10th ), underscoring that true resilience rests not on size or military might but on adaptability, strong institutions, and forward-looking innovation. Just outside the Top 10, Iceland (11th) and Liechtenstein (12th) rank among the safest markets worldwide, combining exceptionally low risk with strong resilience. Canada (13th) is classified as very low risk, driven by relatively subdued inflation, stable currency performance, and minimal physical climate risk, while Austria's (14th) resilience is propelled by its social progress, climate resilience, and economic complexity. Estonia (15th) and Ireland (17th) are distinguished by robust governance and social progress, while New Zealand (18th) sets a global benchmark for governance and regulatory quality. South Korea (25th) demonstrates world-class adaptive capacity, with prowess in economic complexity and innovation, while Czechia (16th) and Slovenia (22nd) emerge as prime European markets, defined by their economic sophistication and complexity. The information provided in this article was created by Cision PR Newswire, its news partner. The author's opinions and the content shared on this page are their own and may not necessarily represent the perspectives of Siam News Network.