Unicef has announced Muhammed Aziz Khan as the incoming chair of the Unicef International Council, succeeding the inaugural chair, Maria Ahlstrom-Bondestam.
Aziz Khan will assume the position in November 2024, according to a press release from Unicef received in Dhaka on Saturday.
The Unicef International Council is a distinguished community of approximately 150 private philanthropists and partners, many of whom are from the world’s leading business families and global influencers.
The council aims to optimize philanthropic investments for children by pooling their funding, leadership, and expertise. Collectively, members have invested more than $552 million in Unicef, supporting children worldwide.
Aziz Khan, founder chairman of the Bangladeshi conglomerate Summit Group, is also the founder and trustee of the Anjuman and Aziz Charitable Trust (AACT), together with his wife, Anjuman Khan. He and his family have been part of the Unicef International Council since 2022.
Driven by a commitment to shaping a better future for children, Khan and his family have sponsored schools, built hospitals, and supported projects addressing drug addiction and violence against women and children in Bangladesh.
“I am a believer in the power of education – not only for its ability to lift people out of poverty, but as a unifying force for good. I see education as the bedrock of modern civilization and builder of trust amongst humanity and that by enhancing understanding, education has the power to reduce social conflicts and bring more harmony into the world,” said Aziz Khan.
In response to the educational disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Khan decided to focus AACT's efforts on education, prioritizing getting children back into classrooms and helping them catch up on lost schooling.
"I am pleased to welcome Aziz Khan as the next Unicef International Council Chair, and I look forward to working with him to shape a better, fairer future for all children," said Unicef Deputy Executive Director Kitty van der Heijden.
Under Khan's leadership, the Unicef International Council aims to grow its membership by positioning itself as the natural home for philanthropists working on the rights of children, the release added.
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