UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Yuna Kim to visit the United Nations to mark International Day of Peace

NEW YORK, – UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and international skating sensation, Yuna Kim, arrives in New York today for a two-day visit to help mark the International Day of Peace at the United Nations with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and to remind the world ahead of a high-level Summit next week that peace is key to bringing prosperity.

“Peace is what enables development and is critical in providing opportunities to young people,” said Ms. Kim prior to arriving in New York. “Efforts to preserve peace are absolutely vital in bringing prosperity and hope for the future.”

Ms. Kim will attend the celebration of the International Day of Peace on 17 September, where she will also interact with students from New York and around the world to speak about their role and ability to contribute to peace and development.

The 2010 Olympic gold winner is in New York just days ahead of the 20 to 22 September Summit at the United Nations where world leaders and high level officials will focus on accelerating progress towards achieving all the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

Children continue to be at the heart of these goals, from fighting hunger and extreme poverty, child and maternal mortality, gender inequality, securing primary education for all, stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases and protecting the environment while building global partnerships for development.

In connection with the MDG summit, Ms. Kim has taped a public service announcement to remind the world that reaching these goals by 2015 requires an urgent and collective push.

Ms. Kim joined UNICEF as its newest and youngest Goodwill Ambassador in July 2010, lending her voice to help raise awareness about the world’s most vulnerable children.

Born in South Korea in September 1990, Ms. Kim began skating at the age of five. She won a gold medal at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver in women’s single skating and is ranked number one in the world by the International Skating Union.

About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.