Kyiv, 10 May 2005 -- Singer Ruslana, winner of the 49th
Eurovision Song Contest, has been appointed a National Ambassador for the United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the world's leading organization for children,
UNICEF Representative in Ukraine Jeremy Hartley announced today.
Internationally renowned Ukrainian singer and songwriter, Ruslana
joins a world-class roster of more than 200 stars of film, music, sport, and
literature who have embraced UNICEF through the years.
Ruslana burst onto the world stage with a rip-roaring act at last
year's Eurovision Song Contest, carrying off the trophy for her country for the
first time.
In her new role, Ruslana will advocate for the rights of every
Ukrainian child to health, dignity and development. She will serve as a
representative of UNICEF, using her popularity and her personal interest in
children's issues, to support UNICEF's mission to ensure every child survives
and thrives through adolescence.
Ukraine is
on the threshold of a full-scale HIV/AIDS epidemic, with an estimated one third
of a million people living with HIV/AIDS, 11% of which are children. Every year
80% of newborns in Ukraine are not protected from iodine
deficiency - which can lead to irreversible brain damage and the loss of 10%-15%
of cognitive abilities.
"Fifty years ago, UNICEF
was the first global organization to utilize the power of celebrity to further
global causes when it named beloved entertainer, Danny Kaye, its first Goodwill
Ambassador," said UNICEF Representative in Ukraine, Jeremy Hartley. "Since then,
celebrities have contributed greatly to UNICEF and served as voices for those
who frequently have no voice - the world's children."
Ruslana joins a famous roster of national, regional and international
UNICEF Ambassadors - past and present - that includes Danny Kaye, Audrey
Hepburn, Harry Belafonte, Roger Moore, Peter Ustinov, Vanessa Redgrave, Jessica
Lange and Mia Farrow. Famous musicians such as George Harrison and Robbie
Williams have also been associated with UNICEF.
"Ruslana, like all our Ambassadors, was chosen based on her
compassion, her involvement in global issues, and her deep commitment to helping
children. We're very pleased to have Ruslana join the UNICEF family.
I know she'll help bring UNICEF's mission to the audience who will have the
most impact on our future - young people themselves," Jeremy Hartley
said.
The Ukrainian winner of the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest has been
very proactive in her international activities including delivering a speech at
the European Parliament, holding meetings at the Council of Europe and with the
President of the European Commission and the Chairman of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe. Ruslana is
committed to fostering the principles and ideas of the UN Charter.
For further information, please
contact:
Dmytro Konyk, Communication Officer,
Kiev, Tel: 380
44 254 2450,
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For nearly 60 years UNICEF has been
the world's leader for children, working on the ground in 158 countries to help
children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world's largest provider of vaccines
for poor countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, quality basic
education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence,
exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is
funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses,
foundations and governments.
10.05.05
