Her Majesty Queen Rania Joins Board of United Nations Foundation

The United Nations Foundation announced today that Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan has joined the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

“Queen Rania is a tireless advocate for improving the lives of the world’s children, young adults and women through better access to health care, literacy and economic empowerment opportunities. This level of commitment and the ability to serve as a voice for those who may otherwise be silent is a great complement to the work being done here at the Foundation,” said Ted Turner, Chairman of the United Nation’s Foundation Board of Directors. “We welcome her to the team.”

“I’m pleased to join the Foundation at this time in history; more than ever before we need the United Nations to respond to some of the world’s most complex problems including feeding those displaced by conflict and providing health care to children and families. And the Foundation ensures that everyone is aware of the humanitarian work that the UN is doing around the world. Right now this work is especially needed in areas such as Lebanon and Gaza,” said Her Majesty Queen Rania.

“By lending her voice and expertise to our work on children’s health care and promoting the role of technology in helping relief workers respond to disasters and humanitarian crisis, Her Majesty will help us focus attention on those who are most in need,” said Timothy E. Wirth, President of the United Nations Foundation. “By joining our Board, she will help us – and our partners – make sure the world’s most vulnerable people are taken care of.”

The Board of Directors of the United Nations Foundation is: Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah; Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director-General Emeritus, World Health Organization; Ruth Cardoso, Chair, Comunidade Solidaria Liang Dan, Director of Investment and Technology Promotion at the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); Graça Machel, Chair, Foundation for Community Development; N.R. Narayana Murthy, Chairman and Chief Mentor of Infosys Technologies Limited; Hisashi Owada, Judge, International Court of Justice; Emma Rothschild, Executive Committee Chair, Director of the Centre for History and Economics – King’s College, University of Cambridge; Nafis Sadik, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General;  Ted Turner (Chairman), Chairman, Turner Enterprises; Timothy E. Wirth, President, United Nations Foundation and Better World Fund; Andrew Young, Chairman, Good Works International; and Muhammad Yunus, Founder, Grameen Bank of Bangladesh.

Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah (formerly Rania Al-Yasin) was born in Kuwait on August 31, 1970.  She completed her primary and secondary education in Kuwait and in 1991 obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the American University in Cairo.

Upon her graduation from university, Queen Rania returned to Jordan and pursued a career in banking, followed by a brief career in the field of Information Technology.

His Majesty King Abdullah bin Al-Hussein (then Prince) married Queen Rania on June 10, 1993.  They have four children:  HRH Prince Hussein, born June 28, 1994; HRH Princess Iman, born September 27, 1996; HRH Princess Salma, born September 26, 2000, and HRH Prince Hashem, born January 30, 2005.

As First Lady, Queen Rania’s activities encompass issues of national concern, such as the environment, health, youth, and human rights, among others.  She also has a special interest in several core issues:  the development of income-generating projects and the advancement of best practices in the field of microfinance; the improvement of the quality of life of the family unit including the protection of children from violence and the promotion of early childhood development; the incorporation of information technology into the educational system; and the promotion of tourism and the preservation of Jordan’s heritage.