James Chau
WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Sustainable Development Goals and Health
Appointed in February 2016
I believe that good health is the linchpin that unlocks our promise and potential as a world. As the WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Sustainable Development Goals and Health, SDG 3 represents that journey—and collective success. Societies that are built on the cornerstones of health and wellbeing are happier, more productive, fundamentally innovative, and indescribably resilient. We must work together—governments, organizations, private sector and individuals—to accelerate progress on the SDGs once and for all.
James Chau is an international broadcaster who serves as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Sustainable Development Goals and Health. He has earned a special reputation for his interviews with world leaders in politics, science and culture—highlighting the connection between health and headline global issues, and fostering a holistic understanding of the opportunities and challenges at stake.
Mr Chau has championed the Global Action Plan, a historic agreement by 12 partner agencies co-ordinated by WHO, and initiated by Ghana, Germany and Norway. He has been invited to speak and moderate at the annual UN General Assembly, including the High-Level Meetings on universal health coverage, noncommunicable diseases, tuberculosis, antimicrobial resistance and HIV/AIDS.
Most recently, he supported the UN Secretary-General’s efforts to end the COVID-19 pandemic through equitable access to vaccines, tests and treatments, and the annual gathering of the global group of heads of state and government for noncommunicable diseases. He shares the vision established by the WHO Director-General for a world that is populated by healthy and productive lives—no matter where we were born, and no matter where we live.
