UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador

File:Nasser David Khalili with Irina Bokova 2012.jpg

Director-General Irina Bokova with presenting the Goodwill Ambassador title certificate to the Honorable Nasser David Khalili to recognize his contributions and interests with UNESCO.

UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador is an official postnominal honorific title, title of authority, legal status and job description assigned to those goodwill ambassadors and advocates who are designated by the United Nations. UNESCO goodwill ambassadors are celebrity and expert advocates of UNESCO (not diplomatic ambassadors) who use their talent or fame to spread the UNESCO ideals, especially attracting media attention. Other specialized categories of advocates include UNESCO Artist for Peace, UNESCO Champion for Sport and UNESCO Special Envoy.

Current UNESCO goodwill ambassadors

The following is a list of UNESCO goodwill ambassadors along with the projects and activities they support:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Name	Country	Date	Projects and Activities Supported<ref>UNESCO.org: Projects and activities supported by UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors</ref>	Link
Xueli Abbing	{{#invoke:flag	Netherlands}}	2022	Fight against discriminations and racism
Valdas Adamkus	Template:Flagcountry	2003	Construction of Knowledge Societies	[1]
Seidnaly Sidahmed Alphadi	Template:NER	2016	for African innovation and creation
Christiane Amanpour	Template:Flagcountry	2015	Freedom of expression and journalist safety	[2]
Yalitza Aparicio	Template:Flagcountry	2019	Indigenous Peoples	<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
Metin Arditi	Template:Flag	2014	UNESCO Honorary Ambassador and Special Envoy for Intercultural Dialogue
Chantal Biya	Template:Flagcountry	2008	Education and Social Inclusion	[3]
Claude-Alix Bertrand	Template:Flagcountry	2014	Culture, Education, Cultural Diplomacy, Children's Rights, Sport and Tourism
Sergey Bubka	Template:Flagcountry	2003	for Sport
Laura Welch Bush	Template:Flagcountry	2003<ref>UNESCO.org: Laura Bush named Honorary Ambassador, 13-02-2003</ref>	UNESCO Honorary Ambassador for the Decade of Literacy in the context of the United Nations Literacy Decade (2003–2012)	[4]
Claudia Cardinale	Template:Flagcountry	2000	Promotion of women's rights, especially for women in the Mediterranean; Environment issues	[5]
Princess Caroline of Hanover	Template:Flagcountry	2003	Protection of children and the family, empowerment of women and girls in Africa	[6]
Mauro Colagreco	Template:Flagcountry	2022	Biodiversity
Princess Dana Firas	Template:Flagcountry	2017	Heritage protection and preservation	_
Rossy de Palma	Template:Flagcountry	2022	Cultural Diversity
Tan Dun	Template:Flagcountry	2013
Viatcheslav Fetissov	Template:Flagcountry	2004	for Sport
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir	Template:Flagcountry	1998	Promotion of linguistic diversity, women's rights, education	[7]
Princess Firyal of Jordan	Template:Flagcountry	1992	Promotion of the Education for All initiative, humanitarian actions, World Heritage, women's rights, especially Arab women	[8]
Sen Genshitsu	Template:Flagcountry	2012
Nizan Guanaes	Template:Flagcountry	2011		[9]
Herbie Hancock	Template:Flagcountry	2011
Bahia Hariri	Template:Flagcountry	2000	Preservation of World Heritage, education, culture, women's rights and sustainable development in the Arab world	[10]
Vitaly Ignatenko	Template:Flagcountry	2008	Building of the capacities of the Russian language journalists and promotion of the free circulation of ideas in the Russian-speaking world	[11]
Jean Michel Jarre	Template:Flagcountry	1993	Protection of the environment (water, fight against desertification, renewable energies), youth and tolerance, safeguarding of World Heritage	[12]
Beate Klarsfeld and Serge Klarsfeld	Template:Flagcountry	2015	UNESCO Honorary Ambassadors and Special Envoys for Education about the History of Holocaust and Genocide Prevention
Naomi Kawase	Template:Flagcountry	2021	for Cultural and Creative Industries
Nasser David Khalili	Template:Flagcountry	2012	Promotion of intercultural dialogue and promotion of peace through education and culture.	[13]
Deeyah Khan	Template:Flagcountry	Template:Dts	Artistic freedom and creativity	[14]
Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière	Template:Flagcountry	2009	Education about History of Holocaust and genocide prevention.	[15]
Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco	Template:Flagcountry	2001	Protection of childhood and women's rights	[16]
Princess Laurentien of the Kingdom of the Netherlands	{{#invoke:flag	Netherlands}}	2009	UNESCO Special Envoy on Literacy for Development
Peng Liyuan	Template:Flagcountry	2014	UNESCO Special Envoy for the Advancement of Girl's and Women’s Education
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand	Template:Flagcountry	2005	Empowerment of Minority Children and the Preservation of their Intangible Cultural Heritage	[17]
Jean Malaurie	Template:Flagcountry	2007<ref>UNESCO.org: Professor Jean Malaurie joins ranks of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors, 17-07-2007</ref>	In charge of arctic polar issues, promoting environmental issues and safeguarding the culture and knowledge of the peoples of the Arctic	[18]
Grand Duchess María Teresa of Luxembourg	Template:Flagcountry	1997	Education, Women's rights, microfinance and campaign against poverty	[19]
Denis Matsuev	Template:Flagcountry	2014	Promotion of musical education and his efforts to support young talent through the New Names Foundation.
Maria Francesca Merloni	Template:Flagcountry	2017
Oskar Metsavaht	Template:Flagcountry	2011		[20]
Vera Michalski-Hoffmann	Template:Flag	2016
Hayat Sindi	Template:Flagcountry	2012	Promotion of science education for Arab women	[21]
Vik Muniz	Template:Flagcountry	2011		[22]
Kitín Muñoz	Template:Flagcountry	1997	Protection and promotion of indigenous cultures and their environment	[23]
Alexandra Ochirova	Template:Flagcountry	2012
Ute-Henriette Ohoven	Template:Flagcountry	1992	UNESCO Special Ambassador for Education of Children in Need	[24]
Kim Phuc Phan Thi	Template:Flagcountry	1994	Protection and education for children, orphans and innocent victims of war	[25]
Judith Pisar	Template:Flagcountry	2017	UNESCO Special Envoy for Cultural Diplomacy
Susana Rinaldi	Template:Flagcountry	1992	Street children, Culture of Peace	[26]
Hedva Ser	Template:Flagcountry	2011	Cultural diplomacy	[27]
Mintimer Shaïmiev	Template:Flagcountry	2017	UNESCO Special Envoy for Intercultural Dialogue
SA Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser	Template:Flagcountry	2003	Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education
Jaqueline Silva	Template:Flagcountry	2009
Hayat Sindi	Template:Flagcountry	2012	Promotion de l'enseignement scientifique pour les femmes arabes
Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan	Template:Flagcountry	2017	Pour la science au service de la paix
Salif Traoré	Template:Flagcountry	2012
Zurab Tsereteli	Template:Flagcountry	1996	Cultural and artistic projects	[28]
Marianna Vardinoyannis	Template:Flagcountry	1999	Protection of childhood; promotion of cultural Olympics; humanitarian relief for war victims	[29]
Sunny Varkey	Template:Flagcountry	2012	Promoter of education. Currently in United Arab Emirates.	[30]
Milú Villela	Template:Flagcountry	2004	Voluntary Action and Basic Education in Latin America	[31]
Forest Whitaker	Template:Flagcountry	2011	UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation	[32]

Former Ambassadors

Name	Country	Tenure as Ambassador	Link
Ivonne A-Baki	Template:Flag	2010-2020
Ara Abramian	{{#invoke:flag	}}	2003 - 2022
Mehriban Aliyeva	Template:Flagcountry	2004 - 2022	Promotion and safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage, especially oral traditions and expressions	[33]
José Antonio Abreu	Template:VEN	1998 - 2018
Paul Ahyi	Template:CIV	2009 - 2010
Virgilijus Alekna	{{#invoke:flag	Lithuania}}	2007 - 2020
Alicia Alonso	Template:CUB	2002 - 2019
Patrick Baudry	{{#invoke:flag	France}}	1999 - 2020
Pierre Bergé	{{#invoke:flag	France}}	1992 - 2017
Montserrat Caballé	{{#invoke:flag	Spain}}	1994 - 2018
Pierre Cardin	{{#invoke:flag	France}}	1991 - 2020
Maha al-Khalil Chalabi	Template:Flagcountry	2016 - 2022	Heritage protection and preservation in Tyre
Marin Constantin	Template:Flagcountry	1992–2011	[34]
Esther Coopersmith	Template:Flagcountry	2009–2024	[35]
Cheick Modibo Diarra	Template:MLI	1998 - 2020
Miguel Angel Estrella	Template:Flagcountry	1989 - 2022	Promotion of Culture of Peace and tolerance through music	[36]
Juan Diego Florez	Template:PER	2012 - 2020
Sheikh Ghassan I. Shaker	Template:Flagcountry	1989–2011	[37][38]
Ivry Gitlis	Template:ISR	1998 - 2020
Christine Hakim	Template:IDN	2008 - 2020
Ikuo Hirayama	Template:Flagcountry	1989–2009	[39]
S. Exc. M. Mwai Kibaki	Template:KEN	2005 - 2022	For Water in Africa
Lily Marinho	Template:Flagcountry	1999–2011	[40]
Rabah Madjer	Template:DZA	2011 - 2020
Nelson Mandela	Template:ZAF	2005 - 2013
Rigoberta Menchú Tum	Template:GTM	1996 - 2020
Yehudi Menuhin	Template:Flagcountry Template:Flagcountry	1992–1999	<ref name="bro">Brochure of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors, page 30</ref>
Cristina Owen-Jones	{{#invoke:flag	Italy}}	2004 - 2020
Renzo Piano	{{#invoke:flag	Italy}}	........ - 2014
Samuel Pisar	Template:USA	........ - 2015
Ivo Pogorelić	Template:Flagcountry Template:Flagcountry	1988–2009	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Mstislav Rostropovich	Template:Flagcountry	1998–2007	<ref name="bro" />
Yazid Sabeg	{{#invoke:flag	France}}	2010 - 2020
Serik Sapiyev	Template:KAZ	2013 - 2020
Giancarlo Elia Valori	Template:Flagcountry	2001 - 2022	Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage

See also

• Goodwill Ambassador
• FAO Goodwill Ambassador
• UNDP Goodwill Ambassador
• UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador
• UNODC Goodwill Ambassador
• UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador
• UN Women Goodwill Ambassador
• UNIDO Goodwill Ambassador
• UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
• WFP Goodwill Ambassador
• WHO Goodwill Ambassador

External links

• UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors