UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors meet in Athens

UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors from around the world met in Athens on Thursday for the first time outside the Organisation’s headquarters to discuss the most pressing challenges of our time, as well as the role they can play in harnessing new opportunities to promote UNESCO’s values and mission, according to a statement.

The three-day meeting included a main event at the Temple of Olympian Zeus, attended by President of the Hellenic Republic Constantine Tassoulas, UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany and Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni.

The event was attended by human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, Senior Fellow at the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice and co-founder of the Clooney Foundation for Justice, as well as Constanza Sbokou-Constantakopoulou, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for the Protection and Promotion of Culture.

During the meeting, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors discussed a wide range of issues linked to the Organisation’s mission, from protecting cultural heritage and promoting education to the role of science and culture in building peace, at a time of rapid global change.

Participants stressed that UNESCO’s mission – building peace through international cooperation in education, science, culture and communication – remains as crucial today as it was when the Organisation was founded, as the challenges it is called upon to address are constantly evolving. Together with UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors, partners and donors, those attending the meeting reaffirmed their commitment to the power of art, sport, education and culture as vehicles for peace and international dialogue. As part of the discussions, they presented their international initiatives and exchanged views on the role they can play in advancing UNESCO’s values and mission around the world.

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