UN children's rights agency appointed Yana Shemayeva its Goodwill Ambassador for a global campaign in support of Ukrainian children in wartime. Mission start — 1 June 2026, International Children's Day.
The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) officially appointed Jerry Heil its Goodwill Ambassador at a ceremony at the Palace of Nations in Geneva on 28 May 2026. This is the 4th Ukrainian in UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador status (after Larisa Dolina, Tina Karol, and Olya Polyakova). The contract was signed for 3 years — 2026, 2027, 2028. Jerry Heil's mission focus is Ukrainian displaced children in wartime. According to UNICEF data on 1 January 2026, 1.8 million Ukrainian children are in displaced status: 1.1 million inside the country and 700 thousand abroad (Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, Spain). Shemayeva will personally visit UNICEF distribution centres and conduct music therapy sessions with children. First visits — Warsaw (2 June), Berlin (7 June), Prague (12 June), Madrid (18 June). The global campaign launches on 1 June 2026 — International Children's Day. Jerry Heil will perform at the UN General Assembly Session ceremony the song 'A Child is a World', written specifically for the campaign on 14 April 2026 (duration 3:42). The appointment was supported by Ukraine's President Olha Stefanyshyn and World Bank Prime Minister Karen Shapiro. The expected fundraising volume for the campaign is 75 million dollars by the end of 2026.
