Shakira has collaborated with music royalty like Beyoncé and Stevie Wonder, but now the Colombian superstar is teaming up with real royals for a very important crusade. The United Nations has recruited the singer, Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria and Queen Mathilde of Belgium to help promote its global goals initiative. The trio will work together to bring awareness to issues like poverty, climate change, and war and conflict.
Shakira has joined forces with Crown Princess Victoria and Queen Mathilde
"We have to make the goals famous," said Assistant UN Secretary-General Thomas Gass, who hopes to use the women's influence to shine a light on the organization’s 17 sustainable development goals. The campaign has also called on soccer star Leo Messi and actor Forest Whitaker to spread awareness. "Some of those people, they will listen to what Leo Messi has to say, and others will listen to what Crown Princess Victoria has to say… They speak to different parts of society," said Thomas.
There is concern that after much fanfare around the establishment of the goals in September 2015, attention on the programme has fallen out of the headlines. This new campaign hopes to reinvigorate enthusiasm, inspire goodwill and accelerate progress in order to meet the 2030 deadline set out by the 193-strong UN council.
Crown Princess Victoria and Queen Mathilde have worked together on charity initiatives in the past
Shakira is no stranger to using her voice to help promote critical causes. In 2014, the mother of two was appointed a UNICEF goodwill ambassador and is devoted to helping curb child poverty in developing countries. Last September, the 38-year-old singer pleaded with world leaders during a conference at the United Nations to invest in early childhood development. “UNICEF and I have joined forces and are here today because investing early in children is an urgent matter and there isn't another moment to lose,” she said.
Before her son Sasha was born, Shakira hosted a World Baby Shower to raise money for UNICEF
Like Shakira, who has two sons with her partner Gerard Piqué, Crown Princess Victoria and Queen Mathilde want all children to have the same care and attention as their own little ones. Sweden's heir, who is pregnant with her second child, set up her own foundation to support disabled children and young people while Belgium's queen oversees the work of her eponymous fund to help "the most vulnerable people in society."