Pharrell Williams named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador

Pharrell Williams has taken on a new role.

Pharrell Williams has been named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.

The singer and fashion mogul was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for artistic education and entrepreneurship for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris on Tuesday.

The role involves promoting initiatives such as protecting Indigenous cultures, advancing education and health care for women, raising awareness of genocide prevention and more.

In his acceptance speech, Pharrell shared, “Growing up in Virginia, never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be given an opportunity like this one.”

The star is taking the French capital by storm as the announcement comes almost two years after French fashion house Louis Vuitton appointed him as its men’s creative director. He also recently performed at the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

“I really hope to deepen that sense of unity and togetherness,” Pharrell continued in his speech. “My goal is to promote the kind of education that helps even the odds for marginalized kids like myself, and adults by closing the opportunity path.”

He added, “At the core of everything that I do is the belief that opportunity should not be determined by the circumstances of where you come from.”

The musician is the first American citizen to be appointed Goodwill Ambassador since the United States rejoined UNESCO last year.

In June last year, the star paraded Vuitton’s Spring 2025 menswear collection at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, presenting the show as an “homage to mankind”.

—Cover Media via Reuters Connect