The star of “Peacemaker”, George Clooney, was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace Friday, a position that will allow him to continue raising awareness of international political and social issues.

Recognized for his work to focus public attention on crucial international political and social issues, Clooney joins eight other United Nations Messengers of Peace who advocate on behalf of the United Nations.

He will visit United Nations Headquarters on 31 January 2008 to receive his designation, attend a meeting of the countries that contribute to United Nations peacekeeping efforts and brief the media.

“I am deeply honoured to receive this appointment.  I look forward to working with the United Nations in order to build public support for its critically important work in some of the most difficult, dangerous and dire places in the world,” said Clooney in a statement.

Clooney was appointed to the position by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who asked him to focus on UN peacekeeping around the world.

In April 2007, Mr. Clooney and several other leaders in the United States film industry co-founded “Not on Our Watch”, a non-profit organization using influential people in the arts to capture global attention and resources as a way to combat mass atrocities around the world.  Helping bring about resolution to the Darfur crisis is the organization’s first official mission.

The UN said Messengers of Peace are individuals who possess widely recognized talents in the fields of art, film, literature, music and sports and who can help raise awareness of UN ideals and activities around the world.

The other Messengers of Peace and their areas of focus are:  Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Jordan (Millennium Development Goals and hunger);  conductor Daniel Barenboim (peace and tolerance); author Paulo Coelho (intercultural dialogue); actor Michael Douglas (disarmament and peace and security); primatologist Jane Goodall (the environment);  violinist Midori Goto (Millennium Development Goals and youth); cellist Yo-Yo Ma (youth); and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel (human rights and the Holocaust).