Explore UNICEF

BANGKOK/TOKYO/ HONG KONG, 7 March 2016 – UNICEF today announced the appointment of Agnes Chan Miling as its newest Regional Ambassador for East Asia and the Pacific Region.

A much respected entertainer and television personality, Ms. Chan has worked as a national advocate for the rights of children since her debut as a singer in Japan in 1972. She has served as a UNICEF National Ambassador for Japan for over 17 years.

“We are very glad that Agnes Chan has accepted a regional role as a UNICEF Ambassador for children,” said Daniel Toole, UNICEF Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific. “In her role as a UNICEF National Ambassador for Japan, she has been a strong advocate for children’s rights. As a regional Ambassador she will continue to use her voice to help UNICEF in Japan and beyond, to improve the lives of children.”

Ms. Chan first teamed up with UNICEF in 1998 when she was appointed as the first UNICEF National Ambassador for Japan. Since then, she has undertaken media interviews, field visits and public outreach activities, with a special focus on children impacted by violence, conflict and emergencies.

“I am honoured to become a Regional Ambassador, and to continue to help defend and uphold children’s rights,” said Chan. “Having visited children in 18 countries for UNICEF over the years, I have seen first-hand how children around the world are suffering from circumstances beyond their control. Children in The East Asia and Pacific region have huge potential but they need our support to develop and blossom. My dedication to reach out to the most vulnerable children in the region and beyond will only grow with this new appointment. Let’s speak up for the rights of all children. Let’s treat every child as our own.”

Ms. Chan, who is a native of Hong Kong, China, has a long history of employing her celebrity and her energy to support children’s causes. In 2009, Ms. Chan helped launch UNICEF’s global Progress for Children report. She also travelled with the UNICEF Executive Director to areas affected by the 2011 Tsunami in Japan, promoting child-centered disaster risk reduction; an issue that was the focus of her address to the Third session of the Global Platform for disaster risk reduction in Geneva that same year. In 2014, Ms. Chan chaired an experts’ and children’s discussion at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan.