Audience

The First Lady Dominique Ouattara received in audience the famous African-American opera singer Barbara Hendricks, Honorary Lifetime Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), on Thursday, February 26, 2015 at her office in Cocody. Mrs. Barbara Hendricks was accompanied on this occasion by Mrs. Claire Lewis, Program Director of Goodwill Ambassadors; Nora Sturm, Communications Officer; Sara Ahmed, Protection Officer and Innocent Sangara, Senior Protection Officer. For nearly an hour Mrs. Dominique Ouattara had fruitful exchanges marked by courtesy and with the members of the United Nations System delegation.

 

Mrs. Barbara Hendricks congratulated Mrs. Dominique Ouattara for her commitment to the cause of children and women. In addition, the distinguished guest of the First Lady explained her mission as Ambassador of Goodwill for UNHCR.

 "You are an example both in Côte d’Ivoire and Africa," acknowledged Mrs. Barbara Hendricks. Furthermore, the Goodwill Ambassador requested the support of the First Lady for the regularization of administrative documents for refugee stateless children. In turn, Mrs. Dominique Ouattara went on at great lengths in detail about her commitment to the cause of women and children through Children of Africa Foundation and the National Oversight Committee for Actions Against Trafficking, Exploitation and x Children Labor (CNS). At the end of the meeting, Mrs. Barbara Hendricks told us, the reasons for her visit. "I attended the conference on statelessness in ECOWAS countries. I just had a very positive meeting with the First Lady who is known for her commitment to children in Africa.