Pakistani singer Shehzad Roy, who has remained on the forefront of activism for several years now, recently represented Pakistan at the 61st session of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna, Austria, this week.
It was in October last year that Roy was appointed as National Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). At the time of his appointment, UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov had said, “Throughout his career as a singer, social worker and a humanitarian, Roy has shown an unwavering commitment to tackling illicit drugs. His position as one of Pakistan’s most famous singers, his enduring popularity with young people, and his energy and undoubted talent, will help UNODC publicise the dangers of drug abuse.”
The singer, who is an integral part of ‘Mein Bhi’ movement and was seen in the recent music video for the campaign, which is produced by Frieha Altaf, took to Instagram and wrote, “I am humbled and proud to represent Pakistan as Goodwill Ambassador for UNODC at the 61st Session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in Vienna, Austria.” He also thanked the UNODC executive director, Yury Fedotov for reaching out to young people and tackling their use of drugs.
“I have been following UNODC’s work even before joining them as a Goodwill Ambassador. Their work is commendable in the fields of criminal justice, drug demand reduction, and HIV/AIDS prevention,” Shehzad Roy stated at the time of his appointment. “These things are close to my heart, especially when children are concerned, and I will give my all to my new role as National Goodwill Ambassador for Pakistan.”
Shehzad Roy is the president and founder of Zindagi Trust and has been awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz, the highest civil honor award in Pakistan, for his public service in 2005. He was also awarded the Sitara-e-Eisaar in 2006 for his rehabilitation work after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake.
