UN Goodwill Ambassadors

Nearly 500 goodwill ambassadors from 23 or more specialized agencies of the United Nations use their celebrity popularity or expertise to help solve some of the world's greatest global issues. UN goodwill ambassadors can be found advocating for environmental justice, biodiversity, cultural integrity, diversity, and the rights of children, women, refugees and indigenous peoples. United Nations goodwill ambassadors are everywhere they need to be!

United Nations Goodwill Ambassadors

The United Nations has 23 or more different goodwill ambassador programs, some of their ambassadors are referred to as advocates (activists) for causes, there are perhaps more if you count the programs that are developed under UNICEF, UNHCR, UNESCO and the Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2030. All United Nations programs and departments are granted an Open-Source and Creative Commons 4.0 license as concurrent users of the term "Goodwill Ambassadors" for non-commercial purposes to identify and carry out their missions. The Goodwill Ambassador Commission's Code of Ethics and Honor Code prevents designated ambassadors (persons recognized with the title) from using the title outside their realm or their mission to create pecuniary personal gain. UN goodwill ambassadors are considered employees, they are paid $1 USD per year, some are often given a support staff and a budget to carry out their mission, while others just add the position to their public relations profile as a celebrity with attention coming naturally flowing toward the organization and the purposes for which it stands.

General Information from the United Nations

The United Nations does not necessarily publicize all of its programs online or make them accessible to the public, the information that we provide about the United Nations goodwill ambassadors is respected as honorable and proper use of the title and concurrent unrestricted use of our trademarks as well as the unlimited exercise of the idea. The United Nations specialized agencies are each fully responsible for their titles and nomenclature of their UNGACDs based on the standards set by the Goodwill Ambassador Commission (GAC).

  1. FAO Goodwill Ambassador, official title of a goodwill ambassador advocating for the Food and Agricultural Organization

  2. ICAO Goodwill Ambassador, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

  3. IFAD Goodwill Ambassador, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

  4. ILO Goodwill Ambassador, public figure or advocate of the International Labour Organization

  5. IMO Goodwill Ambassador, expert or advocate of the International Maritime Organization

  6. IOM Goodwill Ambassador, International Organization for Migration (IOM)

  7. UN-Habitat Goodwill Ambassador, advocate of United Nations Habitat commission (urban sustainability)

  8. UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, celebrity advocate for UN Women (UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women)

  9. UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador, celebrity advocate of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

  10. UNCDF Goodwill Ambassador, advocate for United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)

  11. UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, prominent individual that serves the mission of the United Nations Development Programme

  12. UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador, public figure or advocate of the United Nations Environmental Programme, also known as UNEP Voices, title is sometimes inscribed UNEP Goodwill Ambassador

  13. UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, public figure that advocates for UNESCO

  14. UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador, celebrity advocate of the United Nations Population Fund mission

  15. UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, celebrity advocate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees'

  16. UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, local, regional and internationally known public figure that is selected to promote the mission of UNICEF

  17. UNIDO Goodwill Ambassador, public figure or expert that advocates for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization mission

  18. UNITAR Goodwill Ambassador,

  19. UNODC Goodwill Ambassador, celebrity advocate of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

  20. UNWTO Goodwill Ambassador, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

  21. WFP Goodwill Ambassador, public figure or advocate of the United Nations World Food Programme

  22. WHO Goodwill Ambassador, a celebrity advocate of the World Health Organization

Additional Information is on the United Nations Isotope Article, includes advocates, Messengers of Peace, and others.

Each United Nations (UN) Goodwill Ambassador (GA) Diplomatic Corps (CD) or UNGACD is independently managed and operated under their commissioners and directors, the largest diplomatic corps (or ambassadorships) are from UNICEF, UNHCR and UNESCO; each of them operate very differently from one and the other, the differences are quite striking and very distinct. Other UNGACDs are so small they do not qualify to be called a CD because they are represented by only one or two goodwill ambassadors. All the United Nations goodwill ambassadors are dedicated to their title, unless pre-existing relations exist once a goodwill ambassador is commissioned that person is committed to that UN Specialized Agency, they cannot use their title in commercial endorsements or with other organizations outside of their realm. Some United Nations goodwill ambassadors are trained in diplomatic relations under the standards of the United Nations.