The Global Advocate for the Elimination of Mines and Explosive Hazards, Actor Daniel Craig, Participates in the Launch of the Sustainable Development Goals
This morning the British-born actor Daniel Craig, who was designated by the UN Secretary-General as the first United Nations Global Advocate for the Elimination of Mines and other Explosive Hazards in April of this year, arrived to lend his support, his voice and his image to the launching of the Sustainable Development Goals. Taking time out of a very busy schedule, Craig was pleased to accept an invitation from the President of the General Assembly Mr. Mogens Lykketoft to hear the Pope and to watch the opening ceremony of the Sustainable Development Summit.
Mr. Craig has been busy since April completing the most recent James Bond film “Spectre”, which will be launched later this year. Before the launch, Mr. Craig is taking time to fulfil some of his official duties he accepted as a Global Advocate for the United Nations.
Mr. Craig made a public service announcement entitled Explosive Hazards Prevent Progress to support the UN Secretary-General and Richard Curtis’ Project Everyone, to make the #GlobalGoals famous. He addressed Global Goal 16 about peace and justice.
“The fear that unexploded ordnance that is just littered around after a conflict, what that does to a local population, it stops them from being normal, stops them from having a normal life and getting on and rebuilding…” he describes in his public service announcement.
Mr. Craig, when accepting the nomination, stated that he would dedicate as much time as soon as it was possible to learning more about the issues and realities of defeating explosive hazards and landmines and more about the United Nations system. as the Global Advocate, to the opening ceremony of the summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda and the opening Annual general debate on Monday 28 September.
Mr. Craig will also attend a reception with foreign ministers to raise awareness and support for United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and its huminatarian demining work. And he plans to visit a United Nations mine action programme before beginning a world tour launching the new Bond film.
As he stated when he was designated: “The use of improvised explosive devices in Iraq, Somalia and Mali; the widespread use of barrel bombs in Syria, and the landmine contamination in Cambodia, Colombia and Afghanistan must all be addressed simultaneously. It is a big job. The United Nations needs political and financial support to succeed.”
Mr. Craig is giving it his all and aims to make a difference, using his license to save, as the Secretary-General referred to it, to the utmost. He was warmly welcomed this morning at the United Nations.