Actor Clooney to attend UN briefing on Darfur peacekeeping

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — Oscar-winning US actor George Clooney, a newly-appointed Messenger of Peace of the United Nations, is to attend a briefing here Thursday on UN peacekeeping missions, including in strife-torn Darfur, a UN statement said Wednesday.

The Hollywood heartthrob, who will be accompanied by his parents, Nina and Nick Clooney, is to speak at a meeting of countries contributing troops to UN peacekeeping operations around the world, it added.

Clooney, whom UN chief Ban Ki-moon appointed Messenger of Peace of the world body 12 days ago, will hear a briefing from UN Assistant Secretary General for field support Jane Holl Lute on start-up operations of the joint UN-African Union force in Darfur (UNAMID) as the UN mission in Chad/Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

During his visit to UN headquarters, the US actor is also to give a press conference from 11:00 am (1600 GMT) during which he was to share his impressions of his recent tour of Darfur, Chad and DRC where he accompanied Lute on her recent technical mission.

Clooney, a passionate advocate for an end to war and famine in Sudan's Darfur region, was chosen as peace messenger in recognition for his tireless efforts to focus public attention on key international political and social issues.

Clooney joins eight other internationally renowned individuals chosen to campaign for the UN drive to improve the lives of billions of people around the world.

Other UN peace messengers are Nobel Peace Prize winner and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, Chinese-American cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Oscar-winning US actor Michael Douglas, British primatologist Jane Goodall, Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Jordan, Israeli conductor Daniel Barenboim, Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho and Japanese violinist Midori Goto.

Clooney has played a leading role in the international campaign to raise awareness of the humanitarian tragedy in Darfur, where at least 200,000 people have died from the combined effects of war, famine and diseases while another 2.2 million have been forced from their homes, according to UN figures.

(source: AFP)