Michelle Yeoh — Historic Oscar Winner and Tireless UN Advocate
From left: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Madame Ban Soon-taek; 2016 UN Day Humanitarian Award Honorees: FIA President and UN Special Envoy for Road Safety Jean Todt, and actress Michelle Yeoh, FIA Road Safety spokesperson and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador | Photo: MelanieQuinnPhotography.com
At this year’s Oscars, Michelle Yeoh made history when she became the first Asian woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress. Her role as Evelyn Quan Wang in Everything Everywhere All at Once moved audiences around the world and inspired millions not only through the film’s central message of hope, but through the representation of a community too often excluded from Hollywood’s screens.
Some fans may not realize that in addition to her illustrious acting career, Yeoh is a dedicated humanitarian — and a tireless advocate for the United Nations.
In 2016, Yeoh was honored by UNA-NYC at our annual UN Day Humanitarian Awards Gala, along with her partner Jean Todt, for her work advocating for road safety — a critical battle in a world where road accidents kill millions each year and are the leading cause of death for young people. As a Global Ambassador for the Make Roads Safe campaign, we recognized Yeoh for her outspoken support of the cause along with numerous other issues central to the UN’s work.
From left: 2016 Humanitarian Award Honoree Michelle Yeoh, FIA Road Safety spokesperson and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador; Abid Qureshi, UNA-NYC President; and FIA President and UN Special Envoy for Road Safety, 2016 honoree Jean Todt. | Photo: MelanieQuinnPhotography.com
“Michelle Yeoh is a powerful advocate for road safety," remarked then-UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, speaking as a guest at the Gala. "Road safety is no accident. Most deaths are preventable and take place in developing countries. Mr. Todt and Ms. Yeoh are creating awareness that road safety is not a privilege, but a basic human right. I thank them for their work."
Since accepting UNA-NYC’s award at our Gala in 2016, Yeoh has gone on to have an even more active role in the United Nations. That same year, she was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and immediately began using her position to mobilize support for the then-new Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainable fashion and disaster preparedness are just a few of the many causes Yeoh has championed.
“My goal is to leverage the platform I’ve been given through my career in film, television, and entertainment to raise awareness of and mobilize support for the Sustainable Development Goals,” Yeoh said in a 2019 interview with UN News. “Specifically, how each and every one of us can play an important role in making them a reality.”
In 2012, one of the most popular films in our Screening the Issues film-talk series was The Lady, which starred Michelle Yeoh in her portrayal of Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
Congratulations, Michelle, from everyone at UNA-NYC on your historic win — and thank you for your support of the UN and its work.
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