Ace rally driver appointed Unicef goodwill envoy

Oman's ace rally driver Hamed Al Wahaibi joined the ranks of celebrities such as Audrey Hepburn, Sir Peter Ustinov, Sir Roger Moore when the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), appointed him last evening as the first National Goodwill Ambassador.

The event was held at a glittering ceremony held under the auspices of Unicef's deputy executive director and United Nations Assistant Secretary-General Kul Chandra Gautam yesterday evening.

For Al Wahaibi, this elevation to a national goodwill ambassador, comes nearly two months before his 36th birthday.

Al Wahaibi is a household name in the Middle East and is a sportsman with international status. In 1999, he was rated one of the world's top ten rally drivers by Motorsport News, the leading rally sport publication in Britain.

He has demonstrated real driving ability, often outpacing many registered manufacturers‚ drivers, to earn this reputation of being a world class driver.

Unicef Representative in Oman, June Kunugi, said the appointment of Al Wahaibi was intended to increase public support and action for children in Oman, including by young people themselves.

Hamed expressed his delight at his appointment as National Goodwill Ambassador for Unicef to work on behalf of children and serve their best to serve their best interests; and said that voluntary work is the responsibility of the entire community and it is for him a duty which he is very proud of.

"When Unicef welcomed me to their team, I told myself that this was not a matter of thanks, but my duty. I have for a long time wanted to do something for the community, especially children and youth. I believe this is not only my duty, but that of everyone else as well," he said yesterday.

He said he hoped that he will rise up to the expectations of the entire community in serving children and youth. He also noted that like many, he was fortunate to have been born in Oman.

"I am thankful for being a citizen in country with such a visionary leader - His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said - who has given so much to his people, including me."

Al Wahaibi noted that his career as a rally driver showed him the value of time management and ne-ed for sufficient investment in preparations, trai-ning, fitness and rest.

"Likewise, investment in children, in their early chil-dhood development, health, education and protection, is vital, to ensure that they develop properly and are prepared to take on adult roles and responsibilities," Al Wahaibi said.

"And the timing for this is now - children cannot wait. They have immediate needs. I see that from the development of my own three children."

The partnership between Oman and Unicef, which started in 1971, has seen many achievements and remarkable progress made for children and women, as demonstrated by the achieving a number of goals set at the 1990 World Summit on Children and the steps taken to implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Oman ratified in 1996.

Unicef was the first organisation to enlist celebrity ambassadors in a global cause.