UNESCO has announced musician and fashion designer Pharrell Williams will be its goodwill ambassador for artistic education and entrepreneurship in a ceremony at its Paris headquarters on December 17.

The role for the cultural agency of the U.N. involves supporting and promoting initiatives that focus on protecting indigenous cultures, advancing education and healthcare for women, advocating for vigilance against mass atrocities, and working to protect cultural heritage.

At the event, Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO’s director general, described Williams, who is 51-years-old, as an artist who has proven his commitment to putting culture at the service of peace and human community. “He believes in the power of creativity and education to build a better future,” Azoulay said. “His commitments resonate with UNESCO’s mandate. I am delighted that he is joining UNESCO’s family.”

The organization cited Williams’s longstanding commitment to charitable works as a further factor in the decision. Williams grew up in an underserved community Virginia Beach, U.S., in the 1970s and 1980s and has spoken openly about the difficulties he faced. Over the past two decades Williams has launched a series of initiatives to support disadvantaged communities. This includes From One Hand to AnOTHER, focused on education programs for underserved youth between the ages of seven and 20, and Yellow and Black Ambition, which supports Black and Latinx entrepreneurs.

Pharrell Williams and Audrey Azoulay at the UNESCO announcement. Photo: UNESCO.

UNESCO noted in a press release that as a goodwill ambassador Williams would continue to be a mentor for young creators, especially in Africa, where the organization supports the development of cultural industries.

UNESCO and Williams crossed paths ahead of the Paris Olympics back in June when Williams, who has been Louis Vuitton’s men’s creative director since February 2024, chose to hold the brand’s fashion show at UNESCO House in the heart of the French capital. The show, called “The World is Yours,” showcased models wearing garments that covered the full color spectrum, who were backdropped by the 194 flags of UNESCO’s Member States.

Williams’s cultural presence in Paris was again on show at the reopening of Notre-Dame earlier in December when he performed his hit song “Happy” alongside Voices of Fire, the gospel choir that Williams found and developed in a 2020 Netflix documentary television series.

To mark his nomination as a goodwill ambassador, Williams addressed 800 secondary school students at UNESCO’s headquarters ahead of a screening of the recently released Piece by Piece, which traces Williams’s life and was made entirely in Lego.

“Words cannot describe how I feel about being chosen by UNESCO as a goodwill ambassador,” Williams said in a statement. “I’m honored to continue our work in evening the odds for children and adults through education.”