Sean Penn Receives Haiti Honour

Sean Penn was the guest of honour at a ceremony in Haiti on Tuesday night (31Jan12) as he was officially named ambassador atlarge for the nation.

The Milk star has worked tirelessly to raise awareness and money for the impoverished country since it was struck by a devastating earthquake in 2010, even setting up his own charity, the JP Haitian Relief Organization.

At a recent benefit in California, Haitian foreign minister Laurent Lamothe offered Penn ambassador status for his work, and the actor declared"I do accept".

He officially gained his new title from President Michel Martelly during a ceremony at Port-au-Prince's National Palace on Tuesday evening, and Martelly applauded Penn for helping to keep the humanitarian issue in thenews, according to the Associated Press.