爱思英语编者按：当地时间9月25日，维多利亚·贝克汉姆在被任命为亲善大使后，一身正装出席联合国在纽约的新闻发布会，发表演说。

这位40岁的时装设计师的同名时装品牌“Victoria Beckham”旗舰店当天在伦敦开业，而她为了配合联合国艾滋病规划署的慈善宣传，缺席了开业仪式。

“南非对我来说是一个巨大的转折点。我也不知道为什么在40岁的时候会开始关注这件事。我将尽我所能让事情有所改变。”维多利亚在会议上发言时说。

她补充说，“因为某些原因，人们会愿意听我讲话，所以我要代表那些不可思议的女性发言。我不想坐在这里假装知道一切，很多事情我并不知道，但我愿意去学习，去帮助别人。”

Victoria Beckham today told how she wanted to make a difference to the women of the world as she was made a UN goodwill ambassador for an AIDS charity.

The former Spice Girl told a press conference at the United Nations building in New York that she was ‘honoured’ to be made an ambassador for their UNAIDS campaign.

Beckham – who missed the opening of her London store to be there – said she felt her public profile meant she had a duty to do more about woman’s health.

And she was inspired following a recent trip to South Africa, where she met with children stricken by the deadly disease.

The fashion designer visited Cape Town in February as part of the Born Free initiative, which tackles the issue of HIV being transmitted from mothers to their children

In August, Beckham hosted an online sale of 600 items from her wardrobe to raise money and awareness for mothers living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa.

At the press conference in New York, she said: ‘I am mother and I am a woman.

'I will do whatever I can to raise awareness. I feel very passionate about this. I recently visited South Africa and was so touched by the women I met and felt inspired. I came home and I knew I had to do something. 

'It's taken me to get to 40 to realise I have a responsibility as a woman and as a mother.

'For some reason people will listen to me. This is the beginning of an incredible journey for me.

'I have people mentoring me. I am going back to South Africa in a few weeks and then further afield next year.

'I would do anything for my children and I think every woman has the right to health and every woman has the right to give their children a healthy future.

‘[Sir] Elton [John] is a very dear friend of mine and David’s and we’ve been patrons of the Elton John Aids Foundation for 20 years so I have been working a lot with lots of Aids charities.

'It’s why I realise I have to step forward and do whatever I can do. I want to get to know the women and understand them. It was life changing when I want to South Africa. '

After the news was announced, the Elton John Aid Foundation tweeted: 'Congratulations to our patron @victoriabeckham on becoming a @UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador #UNGA'.

Beckham made the address on the day her first clothing store opened in London.

The three-storey shop in trendy Dover Street, Mayfair, is the first in a series she plans to open after launching her designer range online last year.

She went on to say: ‘For some reason people will listen to me. So I can speak on behalf of these women.

‘The experience was life changing and that’s why I want to go back.

‘Babies should not be born with HIV and we can stop that we are close to stopping that we cannot give up we have to keep going.

‘I feel so honoured to be here. Thank you for mentoring me through this – I have so much to learn, this is just the beginning for me.

‘I’m a mother, a woman and I want to reach out and help as many women and mothers as I can.’

Michel Sidibé, executive director of UNAIDS, said: 'I dream of a generation free from HIV and I know that Victoria’s support will help us to achieve this shared goal.

'Her creativity, innovation and outreach will amplify our efforts and bring us one important step closer towards ending the AIDS epidemic.'

UNAIDS aims to reach 15 million people living with HIV with antiretroviral treatment and reduce sexual transmission of HIV by 50 per cent by 2015. 

According to the campaign, less than half of all children who were exposed to HIV were tested for the virus within the optimum three-month period in 2013 and only 24 per cent had access to life-saving treatment.

Without treatment, half of all children born with HIV will die by the age of two and the majority will die by the age of five, it says.

UNAIDS is made of up 11 UN organisations and works with global and national partners.