January 27, 2006	Friday	Zilhaj 26, 1426

NEW YORK, Jan 26: The United Nations Development Fund for Women on Thursday appointed Nicole Kidman, an Academy Award winning actress, as Goodwill Ambassador to help the organisation improve women’s lives.

The announcement, made by UNIFEM Executive Director Noeleen Heyzer at a press conference at the United Nations Headquarters, coincided with the 30th anniversary of UNIFEM’s foundation.

Ms Kidman told reporters that she was excited about the appointment. “I don’t pretend to be an expert on the issues that UNIFEM addresses. But I’m here to learn and lend support to help make visible the very real and immediate problems and the successful strategies that UNIFEM and the women they support work on everyday.”

One of the first things Ms Kidman plans to do as Goodwill Ambassador is to educate herself further by travelling with UNIFEM’s Executive Director to meet women to understand their problems.