Topics: Humanitarian Issues, International Development, Women’s Leadership
Regions: None specified
Mrs. Esther Coopersmith was the United States Representative to the United Nations between 1979 and 1980 during the administration of President Carter. Between 1981 and 1993, during the administration of President Reagan, she served as Advisor to the U.S. Commission to the United Nations Status of Women Commission in Vienna, Austria. During the same administration, in 1985 Mrs. Coopersmith was a delegate at the World Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women in Nairobi, Kenya and in 1987 she served as a member of the President’s Commission on Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Salaries. During the administration of President Clinton she was the President’s Observer to UNESCO, between 1999 and 2000.
Mrs. Coopersmith also took part as a delegate in the World Conference on Higher Education at UNESCO HQ in 2009. Mrs. Coopersmith has undertaken various initiatives for the rapprochement of cultures in areas like the Middle East, the Soviet Union and Russia, Thailand and India. For her services Mrs. Coopersmith has received numerous titles and medals such as: the United Nations Peace Prize in 1984, the Peace Award from the Center for International Development and Conflict Management at the University of Maryland in 1987 (first recipient), a special commendation by the government of Israel in 1988, the Humanitarian Award by the Government of Armenia in 1991, the Decree of Appreciation for Humanitarian Assistance by the Government of Russia in 1992, a Decoration by the Government of Thailand in 2006 and the United Nations Education & Science Organization Award in 2008.
Source: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/about-us/who-we-are/goodwill-ambassadors/esther-coopersmith/
