Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas named UN Goodwill Ambassador

[News_Editor]

Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas named UN Goodwill Ambassador

2011-01-25 06:46:21 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- Spain's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Iker Casillas on Monday was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) said.

The UN said Casillas' focus will be on promoting poverty reduction, education and health, and issues affecting young  people in developing countries.

"While my job on the pitch is to prevent  goals, my job at UNDP will be to help score them," Casillas said at his  appointment in Geneva, Switzerland. "Bringing attention to the poor conditions people are enduring around the world is essential to motivate action on the world’s pledges to improve their lives."

The MDGs are a set of eight globally agreed  targets that seek to halve world poverty by 2015 by combating hunger, disease, illiteracy, environment degradation and discrimination against women.

Casillas has a history of help those in need – including the organizing of events  such as football charity matches and raising awareness of the needs of children  living in poverty in Peru.

"UNDP works with people and their governments  around the world to end poverty with solutions that will last," Casillas  said. "Only with that kind of team approach can we win the battle against  poverty, and I am proud to add my personal commitment to this work."

Casillas plays for the Spanish club Real Madrid and serves as captain for both the Spanish national team and Real Madrid. As captain of the national side, he led a young Spanish team to its first European Championship in 44 years.

In 2010, he led Spain to their first ever FIFA World Cup in South Africa, where he also won the Golden Glove Award for the tournament’s best goalkeeper.

"We are thrilled to have Iker Casillas working with us to help countries reach the MDGs and defeat poverty," said the UNDP  Associate Administrator, Rebeca Grynspan, after presenting Casillas with his credentials in Geneva. "Iker is not only a role model for young  people across the globe, but also a very committed partner in the need to raise  awareness and create real opportunities to improve the lives of  the most vulnerable."

Casillas joins eight other UNDP  Goodwill Ambassadors – footballers Ronaldo de Lima, Zinedine Zidane, Didier Drogba and the world’s number one female football player, Marta Vieira da  Silva; tennis player Maria Sharapova; Spanish performer Antonio Banderas; Japanese actress Misako Konno; and Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway. The Ambassadors articulate the UNDP development philosophy and help motivate people  to act in the interest of improving their own lives and those of their fellow citizens.

Soon after receiving his  credentials, Casillas' first task as Goodwill Ambassador was to launch – along with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, Wilfried Lemke – a brand new comic book entitled "Score the Goals: Teaming Up to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals" in which he features, along with nine other football players.

"I am very honored to be part of  this comic book,†Casillas said at the launch. "It is a fantastic fun way to raise  awareness and to educate children around the world about the Millennium  Development Goals, and about important life values such as tolerance, respect  and team spirit. As it says in the comic book: Together we can make it happen!â€

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