STATEMENT: GOODWILL AMBASSADORS AND UNICEF-CHINAWith reference to recent reports in the Chinese media, UNICEF-China has not appointed any celebrity ambassadors on the Chinese mainland. The Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF works with a number of Hong Kong-based celebrities to whom the Committee has given the title of ambassadors for specific programs such as HIV/AIDS and Education. Jackie Chan has additionally been appointed a regional Goodwill Ambassador by the UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office in Bangkok, Thailand. The Chinese concert pianist Lang Lang was also appointed an International Goodwill Ambassador by UNICEF Headquarters in New York. Regarding the specific case of Ms Zhou Yanhong, UNICEF-China and its partner the All-China Women's Federation jointly issued her a Certificate of Appreciation after she waived her professional fee to appear in a Public Service Announcement (PSA) for the Government of China's cross-border anti-trafficking project which is supported by UNICEF-China. No celebrity or any other person is therefore authorized to call themselves a Goodwill – or any other styling of Ambassador – for UNICEF-China. UNICEF appoints Goodwill and other ambassadors and spokespersons both at international and individual country levels. The title is an honorary one and carries no remuneration. Celebrities are selected by UNICEF for this role by virtue of their appeal as positive role models and advocates for children and young people and their popularity, as well as their proven commitment to UNICEF's work on behalf of the world's poorest and most disadvantaged children.
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