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Angélique Kidjo
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2002
"I believe music is a language beyond the colour of skin, country or culture. I want to inspire people to work to help educate, nourish and protect our children."
Angélique Kidjo, four-time Grammy Award winner, is one of the greatest artists in international music today, a creative force with thirteen albums to her name. The West African singer and songwriter was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2002.
A passionate campaigner for children's rights, climate change and girl's education, Angélique has travelled widely to advocate for UNICEF-supported programmes. She has also created her own charitable foundation, Batonga, dedicated to support the education of young girls in Africa.
Angélique Kidjo's activity with UNICEF
- Angelique delivered a video message at the ‘Accelerating Action to Improve Women’s Nutrition’ event at the Nutrition for Growth Summit, calling for support for the one billion women and adolescent girls suffering from malnutrition.
- Angelique reflected on her parenting journey in a video giving insight into what she’s learned along the way as a mother and what she wishes she knew before becoming a mother.
- Angelique traveled to Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, to visit UNICEF supported immunization and nutrition programmes. She met with mothers at the Kangaroo Mother Care unit, one of 19 centers around the country. Kangaroo Mother Care is a recommended method of care for premature or low-birth-weight infants that helps regulate the baby's temperature, heart rate, and breathing, reducing the risk of infection, promoting healthy brain development, and enhancing bonding between the baby and their mothers.
- Angelique delivered a video message at the World Health Assembly to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Essential Program for Immunization, a global effort to provide universal access to life-saving vaccines.
- Ahead of the United Nations Summit of the Future, Angelique joined over 150 notable parents who signed an open letter from Our Kids' Climate urging world leaders to transition away from fossil fuels.
- For World Polio Day, Angelique fronted a video highlighting the impact of polio on children’s lives and advocated for the eradication of the disease.
- Angelique was honored with the UN Foundation Sustainable Development Goals Vanguard Award at the We the Peoples Award global leadership event.
- Angelique participated in multiple United Nations General Assembly events including UNICEF’s ‘Champions for Children: Child Rights at the Heart of the SDGs’ event where she addressed global leaders, private sector partners and other key stakeholders. At the Global Goals SDG Halftime Show, Angelique advocated for children and young people to be at the center of the 2030 development agenda.
- Angelique launched a UNICEF child alert highlighting the ten million children in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in dire need of humanitarian assistance – twice as many as in 2020 – largely due to the spiraling conflict.
- Angélique celebrated her 20-year anniversary as a Goodwill Ambassador by returning to her home country Bénin to meet children and young people impacted by the spillover of violence from the Sahel crisis and climate change in the region.
- Angelique participated in the Transforming Education Summit at the 77th United Nations General Assembly, which was convened in response to the global crisis in education. She performed the song ‘Kelele’ and called on governments and the international community to mobilize action to transform education systems, including increasing equity in education spending.
- For World Immunization Week, Angelique took part in a conversation with Annick, a health worker from Benin, about the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccines in her home country. It was part of a global initiative to inspire confidence in vaccines and encourage parents around the world to vaccinate their children against deadly diseases.
- Angélique and other UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors joined a call by high-profile supporters demanding that G7 leaders commit to donating doses of COVID-19 vaccines to poorer countries.
- Angélique released the “world’s most defiantly joyful song”, Makeba’s "Pata Pata", to spread information about COVID-19, with a focus on hundreds of millions of people in remote communities around the world. Angélique's version was played on more than 100 radio stations across African countries, reaching tens of millions of people. It also aired in Japan, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, among other countries.
- Angélique spoke at various virtual events, including the Africa Day Benefit Concert, UNICEF USA’s event “UNICEF Won’t Stop”, and the "Global Goal: Unite for our Future" pledging summit, co-hosted by Global Citizen and the European Commission.
- Angélique visited Benin, where she advocated for a girl's right to education and the importance of keeping every girl in school. Angélique was presented with a manifesto of 30 advocacy priorities created by children living throughout the country. As part of a partnership between Batonga Foundation, TOMS and UNICEF, she also helped distribute more than 67,000 pairs of TOMS shoes to girls.
- Angélique co-hosted the UNEP 2019 Champions of the Earth Award Ceremony and Gala, alongside Alec Baldwin, to help raise awareness of crucial environment issues and promote the integration of environmental protection into all aspects of sustainable development.
- Angélique and UNICEF Benin National Ambassador Zeynab Abib joined forces with seven of Benin’s greatest artists to produce a song calling for the elimination of child marriage.
- Angélique joined other Goodwill Ambassadors at UNICEF’s seventieth anniversary celebration in New York and called for a fair chance for every child.
- Angélique presented an award at the first annual Global Goals Awards to a Syrian teen and Olympic swimmer who saved fellow refugees from drowning.
- Angélique celebrated the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals with a powerful performance before an audience that included over 130 heads of state and government officials at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
- Angélique received the Crystal Award at a ceremony in Davos, Switzerland, marking the opening of the 2015 World Economic Forum.
- At a high-level United Nations event organized by the International Criminal Court, Angélique highlighted the importance of addressing sexual and gender-based violence in conflicts.
- Angélique visited a health clinic in Moamba, Mozambique, meeting mothers and children and learning about the challenges they face in their everyday lives.
- On a visit to the Kansanchis health centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Angélique called on Africans to come together and invest more in children's health and well-being.
- Angélique spoke out about female genital mutilation for the launch of a report in Washington D.C.
- In Samburu, Kenya, Angélique raised awareness of the silent emergency of child stunting and expressed concerns about the profound effects it has on child development.
- Angélique attended the Social Good Summit in New York to call for the acceleration of progress towards reducing child mortality rates.
- Angélique performed a concert in the United Nations General Assembly Hall to raise awareness of the prevalence of female genital mutilation.
- Angélique toured the Iztapalapa Paediatric Hospital in Mexico City, paying special visit to child victims of violence and sexual abuse.
- Angélique was conferred the insignia of Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, one of France’s top cultural honours, at a ceremony at the French Embassy in New York City.
- During a visit to Senegal, Angélique urged young students to speak up about violence in schools.
- Angélique visited Soweto, South Africa, to highlight the immense needs of children made vulnerable by poverty, violence and HIV/AIDS.
- Angélique travelled to Benin to witness UNICEF-supported programmes helping vulnerable children.
- Angélique travelled to Haiti to witness UNICEF maternal and neonatal tetanus programmes.
- In Syria, Angélique performed at the 2008 World Music Festival, met with the First Lady and visited a child-friendly centre for Iraqi refugees established by UNICEF and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.
- In Cotonou, Benin, Angélique launched the “All Girls to School” campaign, led by the Government and supported by UNICEF and other partners.
- Angélique travelled to Uganda to observe the situation of children and women affected by armed conflict.
- In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Angélique participated in a symposium on issues affecting the future of young people in Africa and performed at the Africa Unite concert.
- In South Africa, Angélique participated in the Global Meeting for Sustainable Measles Mortality Reduction and Immunization System Strengthening.