Game of Thrones fans in Kenya will be thrilled by the news that globally acclaimed Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, best known for his starring role as Jaime Lannister in the HBO series, is expected in the country next week.
Coster-Waldau, who was named UNDP Goodwill Ambassador in September last year, will be in the country as part of a regional tournament for women supporting the United Nations 17 Global Goals dubbed ‘Global Goals World Cup (GGWCup)’, which will be held in Nairobi on 5th March 2017.
The actor’s role as ambassador is to focus on raising awareness and support for the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly focusing on gender equality and mitigating the effects of climate change.
The Royal Danish Embassy, Safaricom, Save the Children, UNDP and Eir-Soccer; partners in this tournament will assemble 24 teams of passionate women to experience the joy of playing soccer and the meaningfulness of taking a stand for the world they want.
Coster-Waldau, also a producer and screenwriter, will referee the tournament. The winning team will earn a spot in the global final to be held in New York City in September 2017.
“The Danish government is proudly supporting Global Goals World Cup. The 17 global goals, including their recognition of gender equality, are fundamental for our international engagement. It is indeed worth playing for. In Kenya, the Danish government for many years has supported women empowerment, women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights – and it is still a very important focus. I am happy to invite our partners to the tournament, playing for fun, creating awareness for the millions of women and girls in Kenya for whom the fight for their rights is deadly serious,” says Denmark’s Minister for Development Cooperation, Ulla Tørnæs.
“The 17 UN global goals for sustainable development are a must win battle for our generation. Winning this battle requires an extraordinary and unified effort from governments, NGOs, private companies and civil societies, but the real key to success is that we – the people – get engaged and take action,” says Bob Collymore, Safaricom CEO.
GGWCup is global movement initiated and executed by the award-winning Danish Soccer organisation Eir-Soccer. The movement originated in Copenhagen and is rapidly spreading to all continents of the world.
