UNA-UK is honoured to be supported by renowned Patrons who act as ambassadors to the organisation. Their personal credibility, network and passion are crucial in ensuring that the UK plays a role in shaping a more effective UN.
Zeinab Badawi
Zeinab Badawi is a broadcast journalist and economist, who has worked in television and radio for over 25 years. She is currently the presenter of World News Today, one of the BBC World News’ flagship news and analysis programmes. In 2017, she transformed UNESCO’s General History of Africa into a nine-part series for the BBC, a systematic look from prehistory to the modern era of Africa’s history.
She has been awarded honorary doctorates by the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and also by the London College of Communications, University of the Arts London, for her services to international broadcasting. Zeinab was appointed the President of SOAS in 2021. Ms Badawi is founder and Chair of the Africa Medical Partnership Fund, and currently Chair of the Royal African Society. She is a Queen’s appointment to the Board of Historic Royal Palaces, a trustee of BBC Media Action and patron of the BBC World Service Trust.
Tessy Antony De Nassau
Tessy Antony De Nassau is a former officer in the Luxembourg army. In 2004, she was stationed in Kosovo after volunteering to take part in a UN peacekeeping mission. She was the only woman on her team and received the United Nations Medal of Recognition for her work on the mission. She then served at the Luxembourg Embassy in London in 2005 and later took up a post at the Permanent Mission of Luxembourg to the United Nations in Geneva.
After military service, Tessy attended the American International University in London where she received a BA in International Relations and later went on to obtain a Master’s degree in International Studies and Diplomacy.
She has taken an active interest in charities and NGOs. She joined the Luxembourg Groupe de Support Psychologique (Psychological Support Group) and created her own NGO titled ‘Professors without Borders’.
She became the global advocate for young women and adolescent girls at UNAids, before being nominated as Associate Fellow for the Centre on Global Health Security at Chatham House.
Her work on spreading humanistic ideas globally has been widely recognised. In 2017, she was presented with the “Woman of the Decade Creating A Better World For All” award at the Women’s Economic Forum.
A previous adviser to UNA-UK, Tessy is also Director of UK security firm DS-48.
Read UNA-UK's interview with Princess Tessy
