Colombian singer Santiago Cruz was named Goodwill Ambassador for United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
The Latin Grammy winner was appointed by the UNDP representative in Colombia, Bruno Moro, on Wednesday, the International Day of Peace.
Cruz, a native of the central Colombian department of Tolima, began working with UNDP in October 2010 at a Bogota peacebuilding festival called Expopaz.
Cruz’s new duties will include combating poverty and violence against women “in a permanent call for peace and reconciliation among Colombians.”
According to UNDP, individuals at the top of their field, whose achievements have made them household names in their countries, are chosen as Goodwill Ambassadors.
“Their fame helps amplify the urgent and universal message of human development and international cooperation, helping to accelerate achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.”
Other prominent global Goodwill Ambassadors include Spanish actor Antonio Banderas, Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova, Dominican swimmer Marcos Diaz, and the Crown Prince of Norway Haakon Magnus.
