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UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors are celebrity advocates of UNESCO

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

(not diplomatic ambassador

Ambassador

An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....

s) who use their talent or fame to spread the UNESCO ideals, especially attracting media attention. Other specialised categories of advocate include UNESCO Artist for Peace

UNESCO Artist for Peace

UNESCO Artists for Peace are international celebrity advocates for the United Nations agency UNESCO. This category of advocate is intended to heighten public awareness in addition to the categories UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, UNESCO Special Envoy and UNESCO Champion for Sport...

, UNESCO Champion for Sport

UNESCO Champion for Sport

UNESCO Champions for Sport are international celebrity sport personalities advocates for the United Nations agency UNESCO. This family of world-class athletes purveys UNESCO's message the world over...

and UNESCO Special Envoy

UNESCO Special Envoy

UNESCO Special Envoys are personalities associated with various UNESCO programmes and projects who help to spread UNESCO’s message worldwide through their professional activities and their personal charisma....

Current list

The following is a list of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors along with the projects and activities they support.

Name	Country	Ambassador since	Projects and activities they support	Link
Ara Abramyan Ara Abramyan Ara Abramyan Ара Аршавирович Абрамян, is an Armenian-Russian businessman and the current president of the Union of Armenians in Russia, an NGO dedicated to advancing Armenian positions in Russia and promoting greater cooperation between Armenia and Russia.Abramyan was born in Soviet Armenia in...	Russia	15 July 2003	Dialogue among Civilizations	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=12878&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Valdas Adamkus Valdas Adamkus Valdas Adamkus was President of Lithuania from 1998 to 2003 and again from 2004 to 2009.In Lithuania, the President's tenure lasts for five years; Adamkus' first term in office began on February 26, 1998 and ended on February 28, 2003, following his defeat by Rolandas Paksas in the next...	Lithuania	29 September 2003	Construction of Knowledge Societies	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=12879&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Mehriban Aliyeva Mehriban Aliyeva Mehriban Arif qizi Aliyeva is the head of Azerbaijan's Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the wife of its current president Ilham Aliyev. The Sunday Times, writing in 2005 about Mrs...	Azerbaijan	9 September 2004	Promotion and safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage Intangible cultural heritage The concept of intangible cultural heritage emerged in the 1990s, as a counterpart to the World Heritage that focuses mainly on tangible aspects of culture... , especially oral traditions and expressions	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=24901&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Alicia Alonso Alicia Alonso Alicia Alonso Martínez is the Cuban prima ballerina assoluta and choreographer. Her company became the Ballet de Cuba in 1955....	Cuba	7 June 2002	Promotion of ballet dancing (Programme of Intangible Heritage Intangible cultural heritage The concept of intangible cultural heritage emerged in the 1990s, as a counterpart to the World Heritage that focuses mainly on tangible aspects of culture... )	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8283&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Ivonne A-Baki	Ecuador	15 February 2010		http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/ivonne_a_baki_named_unesco_goodwill_ambassador/
Patrick Baudry Patrick Baudry Patrick Pierre Roger Baudry , is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the French Air Force and a former CNES astronaut...	France	September 1999	Education of young people through seminars, science conferences and projects in the field	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8291&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Pierre Bergé Pierre Bergé Pierre Bergé is a French industrialist and patron. He is perhaps best known as the co-founder of Yves Saint Laurent Couture House and former partner of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.-Early life:...	France	2 July 1993	Campaign against HIV/AIDS, human rights, Cultural Heritage	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8285&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Chantal Biya Chantal Biya Chantal Biya is the First Lady of Cameroon. She was born in Dimako, East Province, to French expatriate Georges Vigouroux and Miss Doumé pageant winner Rosette Ndongo Mengolo. Chantal Biya spent her adolescence in Yaoundé.She married President Paul Biya on 23 April 1994, after his first wife,...	Cameroon	14 November 2008	Education and Social Inclusion	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=45341&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Montserrat Caballé Montserrat Caballé Montserrat Caballé is a Spanish operatic soprano. Although she sang a wide variety of roles, she is best known as an exponent of the bel canto repertoire, notably the works of Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi....	Spain	22 April 1994	Fundraising for children in distress and victims of war	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8286&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Pierre Cardin Pierre Cardin Pierre Cardin Cardin was known for his avant-garde style and his Space Age designs. He prefers geometric shapes and motifs, often ignoring the female form. He advanced into unisex fashions, sometimes experimental, and not always practical...	France	1991	Promotion of the Chernobyl Program, creation of the Six Flags of Tolerance in 1995 and distribution in UNESCO Member States	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8287&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Claudia Cardinale Claudia Cardinale Claudia Cardinale is an Italian actress, and has appeared in some of the most prominent European films of the 1960s and 1970s. The majority of Cardinale's films have been either Italian or French...	Italy	March 2000	Promotion of women's rights, especially for women in the Mediterranean Mediterranean Basin In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin refers to the lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have a Mediterranean climate, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers, which supports characteristic Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub vegetation... ; Environment issues	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8292&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover Caroline, Princess of Hanover Caroline, Princess of Hanover, Hereditary Princess of Monaco , formally styled Her Royal Highness The Princess of Hanover , has been heiress presumptive to the throne of Monaco since 2005, a position which she previously held from 1957 to 1958.She is the wife of...	Monaco	2 December 2003	Protection of children and the family, empowerment of women and girls in Africa Africa Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=19895&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Esther Coopersmith	United States			http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=46436&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Cheick Modibo Diarra Cheick Modibo Diarra Cheick Modibo Diarra is a Malian astrophysicist.Diarra was born in Nioro du Sahel, Mali. After graduating high school in Mali, Cheick Modibo Diarra studied mathematics, physics, and analytic mechanics in Paris at the University of Pierre and Marie Curie, then aerospace engineering at Howard...	Mali	1998	Promotion of education, especially in sciences, sustainable development in Africa	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8295&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Miguel Angel Estrella	Argentina	26 October 1989	Promotion of Culture of Peace and tolerance through music	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8296&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Vigdís Finnbogadóttir is an Icelandic politician who served as the fourth President of Iceland from 1980 to 1996. In addition to being both Iceland's and Europe's first female president, she was the world's first democratically elected female head of state...	Iceland	1998	Promotion of linguistic diversity, women's rights, education	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8297&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
H.R.H. Princess Firyal of Jordan Princess Firyal of Jordan H.R.H. Princess Firyal is a Jordanian princess. Married to Prince Muhammad bin Talal from 1964 to 1978, she is the mother of Prince Talal Prince Ghazi and Princess Mia bin Muhammad. Princess Firyal is known as a socialite and philanthropist...	Jordan	1992	Promotion of the Education for All Education For All Education For All is a global movement led by UNESCO, aiming to meet the learning needs of all children, youth and adults by 2015. UNESCO has been mandated to lead the movement and coordinate the international efforts to reach Education for All... initiative, humanitarian actions, World Heritage, women's rights, especially Arab women	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8300&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Ivry Gitlis Ivry Gitlis Ivry Gitlis is an Israeli violinist and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. He has performed with the world's top orchestras , and many of his recordings are considered classics.-Life:Born in Haifa, Mandate Palestine to Jewish immigrants from Russia,...	Israel	1990	Support of education and Culture of Peace and Tolerance	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8301&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Nizan Guanaes Nizan Guanaes Nizan Guanaes is one of Brazil’s leading communications entrepreneurs and the chairman of Grupo ABC de Comunicação, ranked as 20th among the biggest Marketing Communications groups worldwide by Advertising Age – May 2010, and headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil.-Influential Brazilian:The Financial...	Brazil	27 May 2011		http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=48538&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Christine Hakim Christine Hakim Herlina Christine Natalia Hakim , also known by the popular name Christine Hakim, is an Indonesian actress, film producer, and activist. Born to a devout Muslim family of a mixed-race background in Jambi, she grew up in Yogyakarta, aspiring to be an architect or psychologist...	Indonesia	11 March 2008	Teacher education in South East Asia	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=42071&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Bahia Hariri Bahia Hariri Bahia Hariri is a Lebanese politician and sister of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.- Early life and education :She was born in Sidon, located in the Southern governorate in Lebanon....	Lebanon	17 November 2000	Preservation of World Heritage, education, culture, women's rights and sustainable development in the Arab world Arab world The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8309&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Vitaly Ignatenko	Russia	2008	Building of the capacities of the Russian language Russian language Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics... journalists and promotion of the free circulation of ideas in the Russian-speaking world	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=45343&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Jean Michel Jarre Jean Michel Jarre Jean Michel André Jarre is a French composer, performer and music producer. He is a pioneer in the electronic, ambient and New Age genres, and known as an organiser of outdoor spectacles of his music featuring lights, laser displays, and fireworks.Jarre was raised in Lyon by his mother and...	France	24 May 1993	Protection of the environment (water, fight against desertification, renewable energies), youth and tolerance, safeguarding of World Heritage	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8312&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière	France	27 August 2009		http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/marc_ladreit_de_lacharriere_is_appointed_unesco_goodwill_ambassador/
H.R.H. Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco is first daughter and eldest child of the late King Hassan II of Morocco and his wife Lalla Latifa Hammou.After she obtained her Baccalaureat in 1981, Princess Lalla Meryem was appointed by her father as the President of Social Works of the Royal Army Forces.In...	Morocco	July 2001	Protection of childhood and women's rights	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8313&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Omer Zülfü Livaneli Zülfü Livaneli Ömer Zülfü Livanelioğlu is a popular Turkish folk musician , a novelist, newspaper columnist and a film director who has been highly popular for decades...	Turkey	20 September 1996	Promotion of peace and polerance through music and promotion of human rights	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8314&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand	Thailand	24 March 2005	Empowerment of Minority Children and the Preservation of their Intangible Cultural Heritage Intangible Cultural Heritage The concept of intangible cultural heritage emerged in the 1990s, as a counterpart to the World Heritage that focuses mainly on tangible aspects of culture...	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=26434&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Jean Malaurie Jean Malaurie Jean Malaurie was born on December 22, 1922 in Mainz . He is a French cultural anthropologist, geographer, physicist and writer, as well as the Director and founder of the Terre Humaine series .- Biography :...	France	17 July 2007	In charge of arctic polar issues, promoting environmental issues and safeguarding the culture and knowledge of the peoples of the Arctic Arctic The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=38861&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...	South Africa	12 July 2005		http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=28351&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
H.R.H. Grand Duchess María Teresa of Luxembourg Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg is the spouse and Grand Duchess of Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg.-Early life and education:...	Luxembourg	10 June 1997	Education, Women's rights Women's rights Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed... , microfinance Microfinance Microfinance is the provision of financial services to low-income clients or solidarity lending groups including consumers and the self-employed, who traditionally lack access to banking and related services.... and campaign against poverty	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8315&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Rigoberta Menchu Túm Rigoberta Menchú Rigoberta Menchú Tum is an indigenous Guatemalan, of the K'iche' ethnic group. Menchú has dedicated her life to publicizing the plight of Guatemala's indigenous peoples during and after the Guatemalan Civil War , and to promoting indigenous rights in the country...	Guatemala	21 June 1996	Promotion of Culture of Peace, protection of rights of indigenous people	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8319&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Oskar Metsavaht	Brazil	27 May 2011		http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=48539&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Vik Muniz Vik Muniz Vicente José de Oliveira Muniz, known as Vik Muniz , is a visual artist living in New York City.-Early career:Muniz began his career as a sculptor in the late 1980s after relocating from Brazil to Chicago and later to New York. His early work grew out of a post-Fluxus aesthetic and often involved...	Brazil	27 May 2011		http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=48540&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Kitín Muñoz	Spain	22 April 1997	Protection and promotion of indigenous cultures and their environment	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8320&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Ute-Henriette Ohoven	Germany	1992	UNESCO Special Ambassador for Education of Children in Need	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8321&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Cristina Owen-Jones	Italy	23 March 2004	HIV/AIDS Prevention Education Program	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=24004&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Kim Phuc Phan Thi	Vietnam	10 November 1994	Protection and education for children, orphans and innocent victims of war	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8323&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Susana Rinaldi Susana Rinaldi Susana Natividad Rinaldi is an Argentine tango singer.Dubbed "La Tana", she was born Susana Natividad Rinaldi in Buenos Aires on December 25, 1935. The daughter of a wealthy father and a poor mother, she spent her childhood moving throughout different provinces of Argentina...	Argentina	28 April 1992	Street children, Culture of Peace	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8326&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Yazid Sabeg Yazid Sabeg Yazid Sabeg, born on 8 January 1950 in Guelma, Algeria, is the president of the administrative council of the French high-technology firm CS Communication and Systems and also a member of the French Institute of International and Strategic Relations....	France	16 February 2010		http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/yazid_sabeg_named_unesco_goodwill_ambassador/
H. E. Sheikh Ghassan I. Shaker	Saudi Arabia	1989	Fundraising, children and women in need, victims of war, education, microfinance	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8328&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Madanjeet Singh Madanjeet Singh Madanjeet Singh is an Indian artist, writer, former diplomat and philanthropist. Since 2000 he has been a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador....	India	16 November 2000	Founder of the South Asia Foundation, which promotes regional cooperation through education and sustainable development	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8330&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Zurab Tsereteli Zurab Tsereteli Zurab Konstantines dze Tsereteli is a Georgian-Russian painter, sculptor and architect who holds the office of President of the Russian Academy of Arts.- Life :...	Georgia (country)	30 March 1996	Cultural and artistic projects	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8331&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Giancarlo Elia Valori	Italy	2001	Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage Intangible cultural heritage The concept of intangible cultural heritage emerged in the 1990s, as a counterpart to the World Heritage that focuses mainly on tangible aspects of culture...	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8332&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Marianna Vardinoyannis Marianna Vardinoyannis Marianna Vardinoyannis is an UNESCO advocate and an active personality in both regional and international level that fights for the rights of children and the family, and she is known for her combats against the sexual abuse of children, via the Foundation for the Child and the Family which was...	Greece	21 October 1999	Protection of childhood; promotion of cultural olympics; humanitarian relief for war victims	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8333&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Milú Villela	Brazil	10 November 2004	Voluntary Action and Basic Education in Latin America Latin America Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=24904&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Forest Whitaker Forest Whitaker Forest Steven Whitaker is an American actor, producer, and director. He has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Bird and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and for his recurring role as ex-LAPD Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh on the gritty, award-winning television...	United States			http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=48562&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Honorary Ambassadors
Laura Welch Bush	United States	13 February 2003	UNESCO Honorary Ambassador for the Decade of Literacy in the context of the United Nations Literacy Decade (2003–2012)	http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=25022&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

Former Ambassadors

Name	Country	Tenure as Ambasador	Link
Yehudi Menuhin Yehudi Menuhin Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE was a Russian Jewish American violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in the United Kingdom. He was born to Russian Jewish parents in the United States, but became a citizen of Switzerland in 1970, and of the United Kingdom in 1985...	Switzerland	1992–1999
Mstislav Rostropovich Mstislav Rostropovich Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich, KBE , known to close friends as Slava, was a Soviet and Russian cellist and conductor. He was married to the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya. He is widely considered to have been the greatest cellist of the second half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest of...	Russia	1998–2007

External links

UNESCO.org: Brochure of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors
BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...

: The UN's goodwill hunters

UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador

Current list

Former Ambassadors

See also

External links