UNAIDS has appointed amfAR Chair and leading fashion designer Kenneth Cole as International Goodwill Ambassador. The announcement was made at a special event held on the eve of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS that took place in New York in June.
“We are entering a crucial phase of the response to HIV and I know that Kenneth can make a significant and powerful contribution towards our shared vision of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030,” said Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS executive director. “His commitment, compassion and resolve will magnify our efforts to include everyone in the progress towards an AIDS-free generation.
In his new role as an Ambassador for UNAIDS, Cole will work to rally the global community by continuing his longstanding role as an advocate for an inclusive response to the AIDS epidemic. He will help with the communication of clear benchmarks and goals in the AIDS response, including amfAR’s mission of finding a cure for HIV by 2020, in order to realize UNAIDS’ vision of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
“I am confident that if people are put at the center of the AIDS response, we can realize one of this century’s greatest humanitarian achievements—the end of the AIDS epidemic,” said Cole, “I am honored by this appointment as a UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador. It is my hope to help intensify efforts to end the epidemic for everyone, everywhere.”
Cole has been a leading voice in the global response to AIDS for more than 30 years and continues to be a passionate champion for people living with HIV. As well as managing his business interests, he has been chairman of amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, since 2005. He was instrumental in the launch of amfAR’s Countdown to a Cure campaign, which supports amfAR’s recently opened Institute for HIV Research based at the UCSF. The mission of the Institute is to accelerate progress towards developing a cure for HIV.
In the Philippines, Kenneth Cole New York is located at C1 Bonifacio High Street Central, Power Plant Mall, Rustan’s Makati and Shangri-La Plaza Mall.
Visit facebook.com/KennethCole or follow @ssilifeph on Instagram for more information.
