Daniel Craig appointed as UN Global Advocate for the Elimination of Mines and other Explosive Hazards

15 April 2015 – We are honoured to announce that British actor Daniel Craig has been appointed as the UN Global Advocate for the Elimination of Mines and other Explosive Hazards.

At the event marking the appointment, held on April 14 in New York, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated, “he is known as 007 James Bond; I’m 008 - United Nations Secretary-General Ki-moon Ban! I am very happy that you have agreed to use your global star power to raise awareness and global action to destroy mines which have been killing many people.”

Mr Craig said that the briefing he received from the Secretary-General and UN staff “demonstrated the enormity of the task”, the UN focal point for mine action UNMAS reports.

More information

On April 4, the UN observed the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. This year’s theme was #morethanmines, emphasizing the risks from an increasingly wide range of explosive hazards.

Children, particularly, are at risk from unexploded ordnance and landmines which may be brightly coloured and small enough to pick up or kick around.

To learn more on what the UN is doing to ensure an effective, proactive and coordinated response to the problems of landmines and explosive remnants of war, including cluster munitions, consult the UNMAS website.