Photo credit: Foreign and Commonwealth Office
David Miliband is one of those people who should be on this list every year. He’s President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and in 2025, his contribution to world peace, hunger, and displaced peoples is awe-inspiring.
He started 2025 off by launching the IRC’s Emergency Watchlist, which spotlights 20 countries that have been hit the hardest by conflict, climate shocks, and displacement. This includes places like the Sudan and the conflict in Gaza, warning that because the crisis is not only violent but cruel in its denial of supplies.
On World Refugee Day back in June, he spotlighted the more than 122 million displaced refugees the world over (yes, that’s tragically a record number). He called for more efficient aid in helping these people find legal sanctuary. Those are just a few of Milinand’s humanitarian contributions in 2025—we haven’t touched on his work in health, malnutrition, and streamlining the international aid process. We just hope he keeps it all going in 2026.
