At a farewell ceremony held in Paris on the sidelines of UNESCO’s General Conference, in honour of Irina Bokova, outgoing Director-General of UNESCO, Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer at Dubai Cares, was recognised for his role in transitioning Dubai Cares from a young philanthropic organisation into a global leader in the international education arena.

The recognition also celebrated Al Gurg’s leadership, commitment and strong advocacy for quality education and for introducing innovative solutions to tackle lesser-known obstacles to access quality education in developing countries. Al Gurg is responsible for strategically defining and leading the UAE-based global philanthropic organisation for the past eight years as it works towards providing children and young people in developing countries with access to quality education.

Speaking on this recognition, Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Chairperson of Dubai Cares said, "The sons and daughters of this great nation have contributed so much to its growth and development across many areas, and this recognition of Tariq Al Gurg by outgoing Director-General of UNESCO is not only a testament to his success and commitment to the humanitarian and philanthropic field, but is also a testament to the UAE’s active and pioneering role in providing international development aid by its government as well as UAE-based humanitarian and philanthropic organisations."

Irina Bokova outgoing Director-General of UNESCO said, "The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development commits to leaving no one behind. Education stands at the centre of this pledge because it is the foundation for breaking the cycle of poverty, creating opportunity and driving inclusive growth. The challenges we face in achieving inclusive and quality education for all remain tremendous, especially in least developed countries and conflict situations.

"This is where our partnership with Dubai Cares under the leadership of Tariq Al Gurg, takes on its full significance. We have joined forces for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 4 – to identify gaps, to shape the right policies and to improve national monitoring through our Capacity Development for Education Programme (CapED) that operates in ten pilot countries. Dubai Cares has also come to the forefront to bridge the humanitarian to development divide and stands as an exemplary partner in our shared commitment to advance human rights and dignity through education."

Following his honouring, Tariq Al Gurg, said, "I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Irina Bokova, the first woman to lead UNESCO, for this honour. During her two terms as Director-General of UNESCO, Ms. Bokova has been a leading advocate for quality education for all and a champion of gender equality, which she has made her personal priority. I am so thrilled and humbled to be recognised by UNESCO – an honour which I consider to be reflective of the tireless efforts, dedication, and success of Dubai Cares in providing quality education in developing countries.

Dubai Cares and UNESCO signed a partnership agreement in 2016 to support countries in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education, and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. The Dubai Cares-UNESCO partnership aims to effectively support developing countries in setting the appropriate mechanisms to deliver on the 2030 agenda on education. Additionally, the partnership strives to build the capacity of ministry officials, and ensure alignment between national education sector plans and the ambitions of SDG4 for a pilot group of 10 countries.