UNDP renews Biniam Girmay's goodwill ambassador role

UNDP Eritrea has renewed Biniam Girmay's appointment as National Goodwill Ambassador for Climate Action and Youth Empowerment for another two years, extending the Eritrean cycling champion's work beyond international racing.

Announcing the renewal on 12 September, the United Nations Development Programme said Girmay had encouraged young people and promoted climate action and sustainable development since his appointment in 2025. It also thanked Eritrea's Commission of Culture and Sports for its partnership.

Girmay welcomed the decision in a post on X the same day, describing the continuation as an honour. “I’m grateful for the partnership and trust you have placed in me,” he wrote.

First appointed on 12 August 2025, Girmay brings a record of sporting achievement that has carried Eritrea onto cycling's biggest stage. He won three stages of the 2024 Tour de France and secured the green jersey awarded to the points classification winner. His opening victory made him the first Black African rider to win a Tour stage.

His work with UNDP has included direct exchanges with the next generation of Eritrean athletes. On 19 November 2025, he joined fellow cyclists Natnael Berhane and Daniel Teklehaimanot for a youth dialogue on sport, nutrition and empowerment. The riders discussed discipline and resilience, while specialists offered guidance on nutrition and wellbeing, according to UNDP's account.

The climate remit connects his public platform with community priorities. In its original appointment announcement, UNDP highlighted work in Eritrea's Anseba region involving hillside terracing, reforestation and small dams to restore land and protect agricultural water supplies. Girmay called for young people to be at the forefront of efforts to adapt to climate change.