After a humanitarian trip to visit AIDS sufferers in Zambia Naomi Watts made a pledge that she wouldn't let the world forget their plight. On her return the King Kong actress - who saw hospitals, homes and schools where lives had been destroyed by the disease - agreed to become a UN Special Representative on AIDS.
"Given these stark realities, I can no longer stand on the sidelines," Naomi told reporters on Monday. "I want to use this position as a way to spread the word, to tell people what I saw."
During the press conference the Australian star also paid tribute to the "extraordinary physical and emotional" strength of African women. "What they endure is different from our culture," she said.
Her appointment comes as the UN launches a campaign called 4 for Everyone, which seeks prevention, treatment, care and support for all.
In taking on her new role the 37-year-old actress follows in the footsteps of her friend Nicole Kidman, who is a goodwill ambassador for the UN Development Fund For Women. The Interpreter star made the commitment earlier this year after receiving a call from her mother telling her about the trafficking of women in Cambodia.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
