Goodwill Ambassador Meaning
Goodwill Ambassador is a post-nominal honorific title of authority, a professional occupation and/or authoritative designation that is assigned to a person who advocates for a specific cause or global issue on the basis of their notability such as a public figure, advocate or an authoritative expert.
Goodwill Ambassador
IPA(key): /ɡʊdˈwɪl//æmˈbæs.əˌdɔɹ/
A compound term that is used to distinguish, define and describe a person who advocates for a cause or offers benevolence on the part of their representation. A formal post-nominal honorific title and recognized official position bestowed by a head-of-state or the secretariat of an international organization.
goodwill (usually uncountable, plural goodwills)
A favorably disposed attitude toward someone or something.
(accounting) The value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities. This value derives from factors such as consumer loyalty to the brand.
(business) A concept used to refer to the ability of an individual or business to exert influence within a community, club, market or another type of group, without having to resort to the use of an asset (such as money or property), either directly or by the creation of a lien.
ambassador (plural ambassadors)
A minister of the highest rank sent to a foreign court to represent there his sovereign or country. (Sometimes called ambassador-in-residence)
An official messenger and representative.
A corporate representative, often the public face of the company.
What is a goodwill ambassador?
In 2007 the United Nations said: "Goodwill Ambassadors are prominent personalities from the worlds of art, music, film, sport, literature and government who have volunteered their services and support for the United Nations or one of its agencies to highlight key issues and to draw attention to UN activities." Remark: Formerly called Ambassador at large; same functions as before but unpaid; no longer a diplomatic title.
In 2018 the US State Department offered the following definition to answer the question: "Goodwill ambassadors are prominent Americans who represented the United States overseas through State Department programs. Today, these individuals are more commonly referred to as Cultural Ambassadors, Sports Envoys, or Arts Envoys. In these State Department Exchange Programs, Americans can create long-lasting ties between the United States and other countries. Through demonstrations, clinics, and casual interaction, they forge people-to-people ties to build mutual understanding of ideals and culture."
Oxford (Lexico)
A person serving (usually unofficially) to promote goodwill between countries, institutions, etc.; now chiefly (frequently with capital initials) a well-known person (especially a celebrity) appointed by a charity or other organization to publicize its activities or promote a specified cause. (More...)