Gordon Brown appointed UN special envoy for Global Education

UN secretary Ban Ki-moon appointed Gordon Brown UN envoy for Global Education yesterday. 

The former Labour PM accepted the unpaid role to help galvanise support for the Millennium Development Goal, a special UN project for every child to be at school by the end of 2015. 

Mr Brown’s first duty will be to accompany UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon on a tour of Asia in August.

He said his appointment was a great privilege and added: “Ensuring that every child in the world has the opportunity to go to school and to learn is a long-standing passion of mine, and I aim to learn from other special envoys such as (former) president Clinton, Kofi Annan and Ray Chambers. Education breaks the cycle of poverty and unlocks better health and better job prospects.”

A UN spokesman declared Mr Brown’s appointment was due to Brown’s impressive commitment to education as a fundamental right of every child and added: “He has demonstrated unquestionable passion advocating extensively with world leaders, civil society, and the business community to keep the promise of quality education for all by 2015.”

The former PM acknowledges that enrolling an additional 61 million children and ensuring a quality education for all by the end of 2015 would not be easy, but he is quite optimistic and think that would be an achievable goal with adequate teamwork.

Mr Brown seemed particularly pleased by the local support coming from his constituencies and said: “I am delighted that I have had support and encouragement for this international work from organisations within my own constituency of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath and the support of local councillors. They recognise the value of Fife’s links with Africa, Asia and the rest of the world and I hope more young people from Fife can get the chance to serve the needs of the poor children of the world.”

Annalisa Ratti