Seven people were appointed to the National Order of Merit by President George Vella on Wednesday during the annual honours list ceremony. 

Vella also honoured 10 people or groups with a Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika. 

The annual honours are announced and presented each year on Republic Day to people who “distinguish themselves in different fields of endeavour”.

Recipients can be appointed to the National Order of Merit – the republic’s highest form of recognition -  or granted the Xirka Gieħ ir-Repubblika, Midalja ghal Qlubija or Midalja għall-Qadi tar Repubblika. 

The National Order of Merit has four ranks. Companion of Honour is the highest possible award the state can confer on an individual and is followed by Companion, Officer and Member.       

During Wednesday’s ceremony, President George Vella appointed one Companion to the National Order of Merit, two Officers and four Members. 

National Order of Merit

Companion of the National Order of Merit

Helena Dalli

Helena Dalli served as Labour MP between 1996 to 2019 before being appointed to the European Commission as its first Commissioner for Equality.

She was a parliamentary secretary within the Office of the Prime Minister in 1996 and when Labour returned to power in 2013 was made a cabinet minister.

As minister, she managed diverse portfolios encompassing social dialogue, consumer affairs, civil liberties, European affairs, and equality.

Dalli led significant social reforms, particularly in the domain of equality. She spearheaded reforms addressing gender equality, the rights of the LGBTIQ community, gender-based violence, work/life balance structures, female participation in the labour market, conditions of employment and civil liberties.

Officer of the National Order of Merit

Edward John Despott

Edward John Despott is an internationally recognised expert in interventional endoscopy who developed a novel and minimally invasive way of removing tumours from the digestive tract.

The 'saline-immersion technique' for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) that he developed is now used worldwide and has received acclaim from the inventors of ESD themselves, the Japanese Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society.

Despott has led the Royal Free Unit for Endoscopy of Royal Free Hospital, one of the largest teaching hospitals in central London for the past 11 years.

He is an associate professor at University College London and is the first international senior associate editor of VideoGIE (the flagship educational journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy). 

Stanley Fiorini

Stanley Fiorini was born in Balzan in 1941 and he is a Professor Emeritus of mathematics and senior fellow of the University of Malta.

His interest in Maltese history, especially its medieval period, led him to research the subject in both local and foreign archives; in the Vatican, in Spain, and especially at Palermo, where important source material for Malta, not readily accessible otherwise, was unearthed and published in seventeen volumes of the series he initiated, Documentary Sources of Maltese History.

These documents, together with similar publications, as papers and books, are of fundamental importance for the basing of Maltese historiography on solid foundations.

Members of the National Order of Merit

George Borg

George Borg has dedicated much of his life to improving social, economic and educational conditions of persons with disabilities. He had a long career in the education sector starting as a teacher in primary schools as well as special Schools.

Borg was head of the San Miguel Primary School in Pembroke where he introduced the use of computer equipment and came up with the idea of a Black Multisensory Educational Room. He also developed focused and Individual Education Programmes (IEPs) for children with special needs. He improved various services offered in schools such as social workers, psychologists, counsellors, career guidance and psychotherapists.

Anton B. Dougall

Anton B. Dougall was born in Cospicua in 1952. He attended De La Salle College and then he enrolled in a three-year catering course at the Malta College for Science and Technology. He completed his studies at Leeds and Westminster College in Scotland.

Following his studies he was employed at one of the most popular hotels in Malta until 1980, when he founded his own contract catering company. Anton is a pioneer in cooking and catering in Malta. He has participated in a large number of television and radio shows and published 54 books in four languages.

Throughout the years he was responsible for organising various banquets for heads of states, including several dinners for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in Marlborough House, London and in Malta. He also served Prince William when he visited Malta in 2014.

Ruth Farrugia

Ruth Farrugia is a lawyer, lecturer and former coordinator of the University of Malta Human Rights Platform. She received her undergraduate and postgraduate education at the University of Malta, University of Strasbourg, and Metropolitan Tribunal.

Farrugia was the first director general of the President's Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society from 2014 to 2019 and has consulted for ministries and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees Office in Malta.

Robert G. Xuereb

Robert G. Xuereb, consultant cardiologist, is a pioneer in cardiology in Malta.

He was president of the Maltese Cardiac Society between 2013-2023. He was a nominating committee member on the governing board of the European Society of Cardiology 2020-2022 and is currently the chairperson of the Department of Cardiology of Mater Dei Hospital.

Xuereb was key in the setting up of the first-ever interventional cardiology services based in Malta in the early 1990s. He was instrumental in the introduction of numerous innovations in the care of cardiac patients.

Midalja Għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika

Frans Baldacchino (posthumous)

Frans Baldacchino, commonly known as Il-Budaj, was one of the leading traditional Maltese folk singers. He fell in love with this style of music and poetry at a very young age. At the age of 12 and before he emigrated to Australia, he was already interpreting Maltese folk songs. He soon developed versatility in both the canta storie and the cycles referred to as spirtu pront.

He introduced poetry into his own unique style of għana where he was able to change the belief that this type of poetry is only an exchange of insults in a rhythmic manner. This led him to sing in front of various audiences at different places, including a church.

He published the book L-Imrieżaq ta' Moħħi and wrote plays and two comedies. In 1992, together with his friend Karmenu Bonnici known as il-Baħri, Baldacchino worked on an album in French: Ballades et joutes chantees, making history as the first għana album on a compact disk.

Paul Buttigieg

Paul Buttigieg was born in Qala in 1963. A carpenter by profession, he was elected to the Qala council in 2017 as a Labour Party councillor and has served as the Gozitan village's mayor ever since.

Buttigieg has been involved for over 20 years in campaigns concerning environmental protection and its enjoyment by the citizens, in his hometown and other parts of the country.

He is best known for his fight to save Ħondoq ir-Rummien, for which he earned the nickname 'Pawlu ta' Ħondoq'.

Buttigieg's activism resulted in a 22-year-long battle against a massive development which was proposed for this zone. This saga recently culminated in the final rejection of the appeal by the developers of the project by the Court of Appeal.

Dominic Cutajar (posthumous)

Dominic Cutajar was a leading figure in Malta's cultural sector. Since the 1960s he reported regularly in the local press on contemporary local artists and art events. He was instrumental in introducing a culturally still conservative Maltese public to a greater appreciation of contemporary art.

He worked extensively in the cultural sector, holding positions of responsibility in various institutions, including archivist at the Mdina Cathedral Museum (1978), Curator of the Museum of St. John's Cathedral (1978) and Curator of the Museum of Fine Arts (1987).

Cutajar was a prolific author, writing primarily on art and history. His major work is the volume History and Works of Art of St. John's Church, Valletta (1989).

He was also involved with nature conservation issues, becoming a founding member of the Malta Ornithological Society in 1962. He died on August 25, aged 85.

John Gafà

John Gafà was born in 1948 and took up education at De La Salle College. Afterwards, he continued to specialise in technical studies at the Institute of Technicians in Paola.

Gafà is qualified in electrical engineering and specialized in distribution and transmission after which, in 1967, he began working with the Malta Electricity Board, now known as Enemalta.

In May 2001, Gafà was appointed a member of the general committee of the St Philip's Band Club and was trusted with the archivist position.

Gafà has written several biographies on people who made an impact in the musical arena.

Pamela Muscat

Pamela Muscat is the Honorary President of ADHD Malta and has been leading the association for 14 years. She has worked in the field of special education for 25 years, supporting and guiding students with diverse needs and social problems in mainstream schools.

She was introduced to voluntary work when asked to join a subcommittee for education within the National Parents Society for Persons with Disability Association, where she eventually became President taking over from the late Mr Marcel Pisani.

At the age of 23, she became a mother to a child born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, introducing her to the world of disability and inclusion.

She is now focusing her research and work in the association on ADHD in young children and adults with addiction.

Silvio Parnis (posthumous)

Silvio Pamis was born in 1965 and served as a member of parliament between 1998 and 2002 on behalf of the Labour Party. He served as mayor of Paola between 1994 and 1998 and then got elected to Parliament in all general elections held in 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013 and 2017.

Parnis combined his political work with social causes and championed work to improve the standard of living of workers and families. Much of his work in politics concerned efforts to improve people's income, social assistance, care for the elderly and accommodation, among other matters.

Following the 2017 general elections, Parnis was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government and later as Parliamentary Secretary for Active Ageing and Persons with Disability.

Esther Sant

Esther Sant was born on November 12, 1964. In 2000, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She worked side by side with the late Helen Muscat to set up Action for Breast Cancer Foundation in 2007. Since then, the Foundation worked tirelessly to create a one-stop-shop at the Breast Clinic in Mater Dei Hospital and the Gozo General Hospital.

Among other things, the Foundation was instrumental in the introduction of Herceptin, offers a free brassiere to those who have undergone a mastectomy as well as free psychological services up to 15  sessions to the patients and their relatives.

Sant has been chairperson of Action for Breast Cancer Foundation since 2013.

Local Councils' Association

The Local Councils' Association was established in 1994.

It serves as an essential tool in the achievement of good governance and transparency at local and regional level. Its position exposes it to the challenges and realities faced by local councils and the localities. In this respect, it possesses reliable knowledge about the unique characteristics and requirements of the communities and the residents.

Its shared vision Resident First - Better Quality of Life (2019) encapsulates its aspirations and priorities in favour of attractive, vibrant and healthy communities. It brings together interested parties to work together in favour of an improved quality of life within Malta's towns and villages.

The asssociation ensures collaboration, consultation and effective coordination at different levels of policymaking in anything which affect the functioning of democracy and the active participation of residents.

Jean Paul Sofia's parents

John Sofia and Isabelle Bonnici have spearheaded efforts to reform Malta's construction laws and secure accountability for the death of their son Jean Paul, who was killed when a building in Corradino collapsed in December 2022. 

Their calls for a public inquiry into the collapse were initially rebuffed by the government, which voted against a motion calling for such an investigation. 

But within days, public outrage at the decision fuelled by the family's calls for justice prompted a change of heart and the prime minister appointed such an inquiry.

Aside from investigating the December 2022 collapse, the inquiry has been tasked with seeing how existing construction-related laws and enforcement can be improved to prevent any future such tragedies.

The inquiry remains ongoing. 

"Despite all the suffering they have gone through, John and Isabelle are nowadays a symbol of courage and activism which can make a difference in the people's lives and the Maltese society," their citation read.

Maltese athletes of the games of the Small States of Europe

Malta achieved a record  medals haul during the 19th edition of the Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE), hosted in Malta this year.

Maltese athletes clinched a total of 38 gold, 30 silver and 29 bronze medals, an unparalleled performance that crowned them as the overall champions amongst the nine countries competing.

Malta won 32 medals in athletics, one in basketball, four in judo, two in rugby, 13 in sailing, five in shooting, 10 in squash, 17  in swimming, seven in table tennis and six in tennis.

Team Malta, made up of over 200 athletes, was led by Eleanor Bezzina as captain.