Seventeen Joins UNESCO as Goodwill Ambassador for Youth
On June 26, the K-pop icon will make a ceremonial return to the UNESCO headquarters in Paris for the event
Seventeen during their appearance at the 13th UNESCO Youth Forum in Paris in November 2023. Photo courtesy of Pledis Entertainment.
Seventeen will become UNESCO’s first-ever Goodwill Ambassador for Youth on June 26 in a ceremony hosted at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris. The band will sign on to their ambassadorship during the event and maximize it as a chance to share their thoughts and goals for the role of UNESCO’s global ambassadors. A press release outlining the significance of the event was issued on June 11.
This appointment is a testament to the band’s commitment to amplifying the voices of young people on a global stage. It follows Seventeen’s major involvement in November 2023 at the 13th UNESCO Youth Forum in Paris, when they spoke and performed a musical set urging youth solidarity. Attendees included representatives from UNESCO’s 194 Member States, 170 youth delegates, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences Gabriela Ramos, Dr. Han Kyung-koo, Secretary-General of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, as well as hundreds of fans.
During the session, Seungkwan, Jun, Woozi, Mingyu, Joshua, and Vernon took the stage to share profound experiences about how becoming seventeen and their teamwork made a dream work and helped them achieve goals that were difficult to realize as individuals. They also pledged to work with UNESCO—to reach out and inspire individuals worldwide from all walks of life to pursue and manifest their dreams—through their capacity and collaboration with UNESCO. As they said, no matter what circumstances you find yourself in, never give up on your dreams.
Through their music and optimism, the K-pop superstars continue uplifting and motivating youth across the globe. As an extension of Seventeen and UNESCO’s shared commitment to inspiring youth to effect change and address challenges, “I wanted our partnership to take on even greater strategic importance. On June 26, I will be delighted to welcome the 13 members of the group into the family of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors,” said Audrey Azoulay.
In 2022, Seventeen launched the “#GoingTogether” initiative together with the Korean National Commission for UNESCO. As part of their support for youth programs and education, the members helped establish new educational centers in Timor-Leste and provided educational aid in Malawi. Ahead of teaming up with UNESCO, the group made annual donations to children’s organizations and charities on the anniversary of its debut in 2017.
Seventeen will leverage its voice and expertise to further the objectives and principles of UNESCO as a Goodwill Ambassador for Youth. At the event on June 26, Azoulay will speak to the members, giving them a guideline on how to spread consciousness about the issues that young people face and how to implement real change through UNESCO campaigns. The occasion will also have them give an overview of the new Seventeen x UNESCO alliance, which seeks to provide global support to youth projects.
In 2024, Seventeen is set to broaden its worldwide influence substantially more with a comeback to Europe through concerts at the Glastonbury Festival and Lollapalooza Berlin, which follows its participation and performance at the 2023 UNESCO Youth Forum in Paris.
