Justine Pasek

“I feel it is my duty to use my title of FAO Ambassador to work towards a world in which the fertility of our soil reaches everyone”.

When Justine Pasek ended her reign as Miss Universe in June 2002, Panama’s leading newspapers unanimously acclaimed both her beauty and her talent. Although she was born in the Ukraine, her home country since childhood has been Panamá, where she obtained her education.

Justine Pasek was appointed Ambassador for the promotion of culture and tourism by the Government of Panamá and sponsor of the Osteoporosis and Metabolic Diseases Foundation of her country, a role she has used to promote the health benefits of proper nutrition.

She is a volunteer of the Panamanian PROBIDSIDA organization and participates actively in educating people about HIV/AIDS through lectures to civic groups and in the raising of funds for these educational campaigns. Justine also cooperates with various Latin-American non-governmental organizations on activities dedicated to helping malnourished children in remote areas.

Since her appointment as FAO Goodwill Ambassador in 2003, Justine carried out a mission to Perú to visit FAO development projects benefiting from a wide media coverage particularly in the Latin American region. In February 2006, she attended the inaugural ceremony of the launching of the Programme to implement the collaboration Agreement between FAO, the Centro Internacional para el Desarrollo Sostenible (CIDES) the Ciudad del Sabe and the Panamá Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario (MIDA) in Panamá City, on which occasion she made a statement and attended media encounters.

In April 2008, at the request of the UNSG’s office, Justine Pasek gave interviews for the UN on-line magazine, in her capacity of FAO Goodwill Ambassador, focusing on her role and on food-related issues.

On 15 October 2008, Justine participated in the launching event of the "Professional Football against Hunger" solidarity campaign at FAO Headquarters in Rome.

On the occasion of her travel to Rome to attend the 2008 World Food Day celebrations, Justine also served as the "madrina" (patron) of the Run for Food.  In this capacity, she attended and delivered a statement at the press conference held at the Campidoglio on 14 October, and attended the Run for Food race on 19 October.