UNESCO re-appoints Thai princess as Goodwill Ambassador


In recognition of her work on behalf of the poorest and most vulnerable, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has appointed Thailand’s Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to a second term as one of its Goodwill Ambassadors.
 
UNESCO cited HRH for her “contributions to the empowerment of minority children and the preservation of their intangible heritage.” She was first appointed to the role in 2005 and her work with the organization ended last July. Her new term is slated to last for two years.
 
In particular, HRH Princess Sirindhorn has developed and supported education initiatives for ethnic minority children living in remote areas. Those initiatives are just some in the wide portfolio of projects, programs and charitable work carried out and supported by HRH in a range of fields including public health, the arts, agriculture and other important endeavors.
 
In 2018, UNICEF bestowed its Lifetime Achievement Award on HRH Princess Sirindhorn for similar reasons. The agency said that HRH Princess Sirindhorn leads several philanthropic organizations and foundations and has extensive interests in various fields of human development, including nutrition, health and hygiene, education, water resource development and agriculture. She has been working extensively to improve nutritional conditions of school children; supporting education, mother and child care, people with disabilities to improve their education and empowerment through the use of information technology.
 
“HRH initiated projects to improve access to and quality of education for children in the remote areas and marginalized communities,” wrote UNICEF, noting the projects also trained teachers to ensure better learning outcomes for children.
 
Although Thailand is overwhelmingly ethnic Thai, the Kingdom is also home to many ethnic groups and sometimes referred to as hill tribes. They often live in remote mountainous areas that are difficult to reach to deliver services, such as health and education. Efforts in helping them by the Thai government have also been praised by UN agencies.
 
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