Muhammed Aziz Khan announced as next Chair of the UNICEF International Council
UNICEF welcomed Muhammed Aziz Khan as the incoming Chair of the UNICEF International Council, succeeding the inaugural Chair, Maria Ahlström-Bondestam. He will assume the Chair in November 2024. The UNICEF International Council is a unique community of approximately 150 private philanthropists and partners – many from the world’s leading business families and global influencers – who want to optimize their philanthropic investments for children by bringing together their funding, leadership, and expertise. Together, International Council members have invested more than US$552 million in UNICEF, in support of children around the world.
Aziz Khan is a businessman, and founder and Trustee of the Anjuman and Aziz Charitable Trust (AACT), together with his wife, Anjuman Khan. He and his family have been part of the UNICEF International Council since 2022.
Driven by the aim to shape a better future for children, Mr. Khan and his family have, through their philanthropy, sponsored schools, built hospitals, and supported projects to address drug addiction and violence against women and children in Bangladesh, his home country.
“I am a believer in the power of education – not only for its ability to lift people out of poverty, but as a unifying force for good. I see education as the bedrock of modern civilization and builder of trust amongst humanity and that by enhancing understanding, education has the power to reduce social conflicts and bring more harmony into the world,” said Aziz Khan.
More specifically, after the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Khan decided to focus the effort of the AACT, on education, and on the urgent task of getting children back into class, helping them catch up on their lost schooling.
“The UNICEF International Council has a proven record of delivering a high impact at scale. Having mobilized hundreds of millions of dollars to support UNICEF’s essential work around the world, our trusted philanthropic partners are committed to investing in solutions for children. I am pleased to welcome Aziz Khan as the next UNICEF International Council Chair, and I look forward to working with him to shape a better, fairer future for all children,” said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Kitty van der Heijden.
Under Mr. Khan’s leadership, the UNICEF International Council aims to grow its membership by positioning itself as the natural home for philanthropists working on the rights of children. It will strengthen its role as a convening platform on key global issues, explore bespoke philanthropic journeys and strategies, and find ways to amplify impact on the lives of children and beyond through an investment to children’s futures. Council members are committed to solutions that enable access to quality education and health systems, that build climate resilience, that amplify the voices of youth and that drive action in the face of emergencies. They aim to scale up strategic investments in children to secure the ultimate return: a future where all families and communities can prosper.
The UNICEF International Council hosts an annual symposium, as well as thematic working groups and other engagement opportunities that provide members with the chance to learn from one another, interact with the UNICEF leadership team and identify areas for collaboration and joint investment. Working hand in hand with UNICEF, Council members seek to identify the most pressing challenges facing children worldwide and demonstrate how strategic philanthropy can catalyze solutions and greater impact for children.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Lukas Clark-Memler, Communication Specialist
Tel: + 41 766 980 380 lclarkmemler@unicef.org
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org
MEDIA COVERAGE
English
The Daily Star, May 26, 2024
The Business Standard, May 25, 2024
The Financial Express, May 25, 2024
Dhaka Tribune, May 26, 2024
Daily Sun, May 02, 2024
The Report, May 25, 2024
Daily Observer, May 25, 2024
Outlook Bangla, May 25, 2024
The Daily New Nation, May 26, 2024
The Daily Messenger, May 26, 2024
The Business Post, May 26, 2024
Energy & Power, May 25, 2024
BSS, May 26, 2024
Bangla
Prothom Alo, May 25, 2024
Bangla Tribune, May 25, 2024
Bonik Barta, May 27, 2024
Naya Diganta, May 27, 2024
Kalbela, May 27, 2024
Daily Amader Somoy, May 26, 2024
Campus Times, May 26, 2024
Bangi News, May 25, 2024
Sunbd24, May 25, 2024
Social Media
Mohammad Aziz Khan, Facebook
Mohammad Aziz Khan, Linkedin
AACT, Linkedin
AACT, Facebook