LONDON, Nov. 20 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) — British actress Millie Bobby Brown, the teenage star of hit drama series "Stranger Things", was named as the youngest-ever goodwill ambassador for the United Nations' children's agency UNICEF on Tuesday, planning to address bullying and poverty.
The 14-year-old actress, who was the youngest person to make Time magazine's list of the world's 100 most influential figures, was appointed to the advocacy role at the UN headquarters to mark World Children's Day, the agency said.
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"It's a dream come true," Brown said in a statement. "I am looking forward to meeting as many children and young people as I can, hearing their stories, and speaking out on their behalf."
Brown has been nominated twice for an Emmy for her role in the Netflix series "Stranger Things", which followed the case of a missing boy named Will in a small Indiana town in the 1980s.
Brown, who plays a girl called Eleven with special powers trying to help rescue him, has spoken out in the past against bullying and last year deleted her Twitter account after a slew of hate-filled comments.
UNICEF said in her new role she will help raise awareness of children's rights and other youth related issues including access to education, and the impact of violence, bullying and poverty.
"Children are their own best advocates. I know that Millie will use her passion and dedication to defend the rights of vulnerable children and young people everywhere," said UNICEF's Executive Director Henrietta Fore in a statement.
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Brown joins a list of UNICEF goodwill ambassadors that includes former England soccer captain David Beckham, actors Orlando Bloom, Jackie Chan, and Liam Neeson, singers Ricky Martin and Shakira and YouTube star Lilly Singh.
(Reporting by Umberto Bacchi @UmbertoBacchi, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)