UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura has decided to appoint Her Royal Highness the Princess of Hanover as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador "in recognition of her personal commitment to the protection of children and the family, and of her contribution to the promotion of UNESCO's programmes for the education of girls and women".

Following her appointment, the Princess of Hanover plans to concentrate mainly on a UNESCO project aiming to improve the lives of young girls and women by providing them with non-formal education, vocational training and microcredits. The project, which will be implemented over a two-year period, will involve community training centres in several countries in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

The appointment ceremony

The appointment ceremony took place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on Tuesday, December 2 at 6.30 p.m. HRH the Princess of Hanover was accompanied by Her husband, HRH Prince Ernst-August of Hanover, HE Mr. Christian Orsetti, Ambassador of Monaco to France and HE Mr. Roger Passeron, Permanent Delegate of Monaco to UNESCO.

Several representatives of AMADE attended the ceremony: Mr. Jacques Danois, Vice-President of AMADE, and his wife, Mr. Francis Kasasa, Secretary-General of AMADE, and Mrs Anne Willing Grinda, Delegate of AMADE to UNESCO.

HRH The Princess of Hanover delivers Her speech in UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
(Photo: Monaco Palace, Press center)

Speech by HRH The Princess of Hanover
UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, 2 december 2003 - Download