Beckham wants to help kids 'in every corner of the world'

LONDON — David Beckham said Monday he will spend the next decade doing his part to end violence and poverty for children around the world.

The retired soccer star, 39, was speaking to mark his 10th year as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund. He unveiled a new project with the group to extend his collaboration another 10 years. The project is called 7: The David Beckham UNICEF Fund.

"Everything I have done, my football career, my family, has led to this point. This is the moment for me to do what I can to help children in every corner of the world," Beckham told reporters. "This is something I want my own children to be proud of."

The father-of-four described 2014 as "one of the most devastating years for children" and said he wants to raise millions of dollars to improve children's lives and encourage world leaders to create lasting change.

More than 15 million children were exposed to violence in major conflicts last year, as well as being affected by natural disasters and the deadly Ebola virus, according to UNICEF, created by the United Nations to provide assistance to children. Some 168 million children last year were involved in child labor, with many others falling victim to trafficking, sexual violence and female genital mutilation.

The initiative unveiled Monday at Google's offices is named after Beckham's shirt number that he used while playing for Manchester United and England. The new fund wants to tackle what UNICEF said are seven urgent priorities: child homicide in El Salvador, malnutrition in Papua New Guinea, HIV in Swaziland, maternal mortality in Djibouti, education in Bangladesh, child deaths caused by diarrhea in Burkina Faso and education for Roma and disabled children in Serbia.

Beckham said the project was not just about raising funds, but also about raising awareness. He said that retiring from soccer in 2013 freed more time for him to engage in humanitarian work. "My fame, my success I've had opens doors for the protection of children and the protection of women around the world," Beckham said.

Beckham was previously involved in campaigns to raise awareness of issues such as Ebola, malnutrition and AIDS. He has traveled to South Africa, Sierra Leone, Thailand and the Philippines, where he helped raise money for children affected by Typhoon Haiyan that killed more than 6,000 people there in November 2013.

"Today we're calling on every member of the public to add their voice to David's and UNICEF's to call on world leaders to put children first," said David Bull, UNICEF U.K's executive director.

In reply to a Paste BN question, Beckham spoke fondly of his time living in the United States — he signed a five-year $250 million deal with the L.A. Galaxy in 2007 — and said he would love Americans to get involved with the new fund.

"I really did love America," he said. "It's one of the countries where as a family we were welcomed in with open arms and every time we'd go back people were exactly the same.

"Americans are so positive in so many different ways, and it's one of the reasons why I love living there, one of the reasons why I love going back and to get involved with this 7 project. For me, it's not just about certain countries, everyone needs to get involved.

"I would love everyone in America to be involved in this because it's special, they're passionate, they have real kind of drive and it's important to me."

To learn more about 7: The David Beckham UNICEF Fund, visit 7.org.