New UNICEF head takes office promising today’s children a better tomorrow

(May 4, 2010) Pledging to help the world’s children “inherit a better tomorrow,” Anthony Lake, veteran United States diplomat, national security adviser to former President Bill Clinton and long-time humanitarian advocate, has taken over the helm of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Lake assumed the post of UNICEF’s sixth Executive Director on 1 May in succession to Ann Veneman, a former US Secretary of Agriculture, bringing more than 45 years of public and international service to the position. “I look forward to working with our exceptional staff and our many partners to advance children’s rights around the world,” said 70-year old Lake, on his first day in office. “Peace and security are the foundation of a world fit for children. Wars not only kill children – they breed disease and destroy economic hope. And in the end, real peace is not found in a piece of diplomatic paper. It is found in the secure and healthy lives of girls and boys. If we improve their lives today, we help them inherit a better tomorrow,” Lake added.