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Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling champion Artur Aleksanyan was reappointed National Ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for another two years on 30 October, reaffirming a shared commitment to protecting children’s rights and ensuring their well-being in Armenia.
A symbolic signing ceremony marking the continuation of the partnership took place on the main stage of COP17’s Green Zone. Aleksanyan and UNICEF Representative in Armenia Dr Ghassan Khalil signed the agreement. The celebrated athlete also signed a T-shirt bearing the UNICEF logo.
Khalil said it was a great honour to welcome Aleksanyan back into UNICEF’s family of ambassadors on the organisation’s behalf. He thanked the Armenian champion for his dedication and for representing UNICEF once again.
“Throughout the organisation’s history of more than 80 years, UNICEF National Ambassadors have played an extremely important role. They are recognised figures from the worlds of art, culture and sport who are willing to use their fame and influence to help children in need of support. This is what Mr Aleksanyan does.
“At UNICEF, we have one wish: for every child in Armenia to grow up healthy, receive a good education and live in a clean, sustainable environment. Artur, thank you for your willingness to continue this journey with us. We all have a great deal of work ahead. On behalf of the UNICEF team, I promise that we will do everything possible. And now, as COP17 draws to a close, let this day also mark our new commitment to the children who will inherit the future we are building together today,” he said.
Aleksanyan said every child could become a force for change if they were heard and given the opportunity to help shape their own future.
“Over the past two weeks, countries have discussed several important decisions that will affect our future and that of our children. I am glad that young Armenians’ voices have also been heard in those discussions.
“My sporting career has taught me a simple truth: results do not come overnight. They require a goal, discipline and daily effort. The same applies to education, health and environmental protection. If we want children to grow up strong, healthy and confident, we must provide them not only with opportunities to take part in sport but also with quality education and a clean, safe environment.
“Today, the world faces serious climate challenges, and I am confident that every child can become a force for change if we listen to them and give them the opportunity to help shape their own future. Sport has taught me to cooperate, respect others and never give up. These are precisely the values we need to build a fairer, more sustainable world in which children can thrive. Thank you to UNICEF for its trust. I am happy to continue this journey,” he said.
The ceremony was preceded by a panel discussion on the links between sport, biodiversity and education, with Armenian Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan joining Khalil and Aleksanyan.
Asked by the moderators how he assessed Aleksanyan’s role as a UNICEF National Ambassador, Khalil said the ambassadors’ main mission was to inspire and demonstrate through their own example the importance of perseverance, the drive to succeed and discipline.
Discussing climate change and environmental education, Khalil said UNICEF was implementing various programmes in Armenia to help children and young people better understand climate change and learn what they could do to protect nature.
Asked about his connection with nature, Aleksanyan said he had always enjoyed training outdoors because he recovered better after such sessions. He stressed that there would also be opportunities for outdoor training in the grounds adjoining the sports school being built in his name in Gyumri.
Responding to a question, Andreasyan highlighted the importance of an education system with sufficient diversity and flexibility to enable children to learn effectively in different settings.
“The knowledge and skills acquired through the sustained, consistent study of particular subjects are very important. I must say that nothing can replace structured learning, but it must be complemented by other methods.
“Project-based learning is an excellent approach in this respect. It develops a range of skills in our children, starting with defining a problem and identifying the underlying issue, which I consider very important. As citizens, we must be able to notice the problems around us. I also regard this as a very important component of civic education. I would very much like our pupils and young people to see biodiversity as something on which our lives depend,” she said.
Stressing the importance of green spaces near educational facilities, Andreasyan said this approach was already being implemented through the programme to build 300 schools. For schools built previously, she said restoring existing but currently unused spaces was an urgent task.
“The best option is for a school to have a garden, a sports ground and a space where people can sit together and discuss things. In this way, a school becomes not only a place for learning and teaching but also a community centre.
“We have schools in Tavush Province — for example, the newly built school in Gandzasar has extensive grounds that form a wonderful park, where people can walk and spend time in the evening. This is how we should approach school grounds,” she said.
The event concluded with an exclusive premiere of the first three episodes of the animated series “Sevanik”, created to raise environmental awareness among children.