(Shakira) Thanks for the invitation.
[applauses]
(Woman) Welcome!
(Shakira) Thanks!
(Shakira) Hi, how are you?
Juan Somavia: (in Spanish) How wonderful!
Juan Somavia: (in Spanish)... and this is the moment when they are giving to him the Nobel Prize.
[applauses]
[Shakira’s latest song ‘Gypsy’ plays in the background as she enters]
(Zohreh Tabatabai) We will show a little video of her foundation...
the foundation through which she helps.
(Juan Somavia) Shakira. A name with instant global recognition.
And behind the name, a distinctive talent, a distinct person,
a distinctive story, blending many cultures and influences,
from Lebanese to Colombian, to Italian.
You appeal across cultures, borders, age groups
and 1995, just 18, 18 years old,
you launched both the album "Pies descalzos"
that rocketed you to international recognition
and your foundation with the same name.
It was the explosion of a brilliant career, the blossoming of many dreams,
and as we saw, Fundación Pies Descalzos is enabling girls and boys
to have a better life in the present
and to lay the foundations for decent jobs and a decent life in the future.
We are pleased to honour what you are doing
to enable children and young people living in poverty
to benefit from the empowering role
and the transforming capacity of a quality education.
[applauses]
(Shakira) The ILO has been a beacon for social justice.
As a child in Colombia,
I witnessed extreme poverty, injustice and inequality
that denied children the chance to realise their full potential,
to have a better future and to contribute to the development of our society.
Witnessing so much despair
shaped my dream and my vision of social justice:
to see a world where every child can live
a dignified life with the opportunity
to reap the benefits of a good education
and a chance to pursue their dreams.
Investing in a child means investing in our collective future.
A child who receives quality education, nutrition
and care early in life will have higher earnings, better health,
stronger relationships and higher productivity throughout his or her entire life as an adult.
The ILO has proven that it's not afraid to speak up for the weak
and that's why I'm here.
'Cause you've always understood that social, economic and environmental policies
and action must work together to create sustainable change.
[applauses]