U.N. Benefit Nets Stars, Money, and Criticism

A star-studded benefit at the United Nations on Wednesday night raised $3.7-million to help poor and sick children worldwide, although its mixture of commercial promotion and charity activities drew some criticism, reports the Associated Press. The event, paid for by Gucci and tied to its new store opening in Manhattan, featured both Gucci and Unicef logos on the red-carpet walkway, among other commercial tie-ins.

Attendees, who paid between $2,500 and $10,000 per plate, watched videos of Malawi introduced by Madonna and saw performances by the singers Alicia Keys, Rihanna, and Timbaland. The money raised will be collected by the Gucci Foundation and split between Raising Malawi, a nonprofit organization that operates under the Kabbalah Center International, and the U.S. Fund for Unicef, which supports the United Nations Children’s Fund.

According to Unicef, Malawi has a significant HIV/AIDS problem, affecting almost 1 million people, including 83,000 children.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, who has encouraged the use of celebrities to draw attention to humanitarian issues, skipped the event, even though his schedule was free, according to the article. His undersecretary general for administration and management, Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, said the office “should have investigated more fully” before approving the event on U.N. grounds and did not support using the event to promote the new Gucci store opening.

However, the secretary-general commented to reporters, “I understand that the main purpose of this event will raise funds for a humanitarian purpose, and I am sure that the proceeds will go to the purpose of this event.”