UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres designates Malala Yousafzai as the youngest-ever ‘Messenger of Peace’
United Nations(UN)Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has selected 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai to be a UN messenger of peace, the highest honour bestowed by the UN chief on a global citizen
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric announced Friday April 07,2017 that the 19-year-old education advocate will focus worldwide attention on the need for all girls to go to school. She will be officially designated at a ceremony on Monday and then hold a conversation with Guterres and youth representatives from around the world on girls' education, he said.
Malala Yousafzai became the youngest-ever Nobel laureate in 2014, when she was recognized for her advocacy of the right of all children to education. Her campaign led to a Taliban assassination attempt near her home in northwest Pakistan that left her severely wounded. She went to Britain for medical treatment and now goes to school there
"Even in the face of grave danger, Malala Yousafzai has shown an unwavering commitment to the rights of women, girls and all people," Guterres said.
"Her courageous activism for girls' education has already energized so many people around the world," he said in a statement. "Now as our youngest-ever UN Messenger of Peace, Malala can do even more to help create a more just and peaceful world."
With the designation, Yousafzai joins other current Messengers of Peace including Oscar-winning actor Leonardo di Caprio for climate change, actor Charlize Theron, whose focus is prevention of HIV and elimination of violence against women and actor Michael Douglas whose focus is disarmament.
Messengers of Peace volunteer "their time, talent and passion" in different fields to help focus global attention on the work of the United Nations, according to the UN.
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