Paris, March 7 {No.2000-18} - The actress Claudia Cardinale was named UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador by the Organization's Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura "in recognition of her commitment in favour of UNESCO's programmes dedicated to improving the lives of women and young girls through education, as well as the promotion and affirmation of their rights."

At the nomination ceremony, on the eve of International Women's Day, Mr Matsuura declared that the new Goodwill Ambassador's mission will focus "on everything that can contribute to improving the lives of women and young girls in the 21st century: help them acquire knowledge, information needed to take part in all areas and levels of social activity, particularly in the processes and structures where policies are determined and implemented; help them, especially the most underprivileged, have access to quality basic education, to social services and to credit which may enable them to push back the frontiers of poverty and exploitation and lead them to greater autonomy."

Mr Matsuura went on to praise Ms Cardinale's talent as an artist of world renown and saluted "the woman who has led an indefatigable fight against poverty, intolerance, and human rights violations, especially affecting marginalised women and children." The Director-General described the mission of Goodwill Ambassadors. He declared that UNESCO was one of those international organisations which are "little known, even little loved by the media and public opinion" because their action takes place in the medium or long term and does not have an immediate or spectacular impact on daily life. Mr Matsuura insisted on the inestimable role that Goodwill Ambassadors could have in mobilising the public "so as to associate it to this collective effort to bring more justice to the world."

In her acceptance speech, Ms Cardinale spoke of her international roots, "African by birth, of Italian nationality and French through my upbringing". She then insisted on her desire "to be ever attentive to the needs of women and to fight relentlessly for their rights." She added: "it is with passion that I will face this mission at the service of improving the fate of women and of young girls."

During her career, which began in the 1960s with films such as Rocco and His Brothers, 81/2, and The Leopard, Ms Cardinale has won many awards, including the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival (1963); the Golden Shell of the Festival of San Sebastian (1967); and the Golden Lion of the Venice Festival (1994).