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The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation announced the 2026 awardees on 31 August 2026: Tommy Koh of Singapore, Bo Kyi of Myanmar and Runa Khan of Bangladesh.
Tommy Koh, 88, a diplomat and lawyer, was recognised for his role in the negotiations that produced the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Bo Kyi, 61, a former political prisoner from Myanmar's 1988 pro-democracy movement, co-founded the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in 2000.
Runa Khan, 67, founded the Bangladeshi organisation Friendship, which began with a single hospital boat serving remote char communities.
No Indian features among the 2026 awardees; the 68th presentation ceremony is scheduled for 15 November 2026 in Manila.
Tommy Koh's citation rests on the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea. UNCLOS was adopted in 1982 and entered into force in 1994; it defines the territorial sea (12 nautical miles), the contiguous zone (24 nm) and the exclusive economic zone (200 nm), and is frequently examined alongside disputes in the South China Sea.
Bo Kyi's organisation documents detentions in Myanmar and is a standard citation in questions on Myanmar's political trajectory and on India's neighbourhood policy.
Runa Khan's Friendship works in char communities - shifting silt islands in Bangladesh's rivers - which connects to questions on riverine erosion, climate migration and Bengal delta geography.
General Awareness > Awards and Honours
General Awareness > Awards
General Awareness > Awards and Honours
GS Paper 2 > International Relations; Prelims > Awards and Institutions
Asia's premier award, instituted in 1957 and first given in 1958, administered from Manila by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, adopted 1982 and in force from 1994, setting the legal framework for maritime zones and ocean use
Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, co-founded in Myanmar in 2000 to aid political prisoners and record human rights violations
A shifting river island of silt in Bangladesh, highly vulnerable to flooding and erosion