David Beckham talked about the “simple values” his parents taught him and passed on to his children in a conversation with CNBC’s Tanya Breyer at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The former soccer star attended the WEF for the first time to receive the award “Crystal Award” for his work in protecting vulnerable children as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2005.

Bryer asked Beckham where his passion to make a difference comes from and the values ​​his parents taught him. “I think they instilled the right values ​​in me and it’s the simple values ​​of treating everyone the same and showing respect to people and I’ve tried to do the same with my kids.”Beckham said.

The 49-year-old father of four said his youngest daughter, Harper, is 13 and his eldest, Brooklyn, is 25. “All my boys know to let a woman walk through the door before them. They stand up when a lady leaves the table, shake hands, make eye contact. You know all these values, their “pleases”, their “thank yous”. All my children have been saying “please” and “thank you” since they were three years old. So it’s the simple values ​​that Victoria and I grew up with and that we try to instill in our children.”he added.

He said having children has also inspired his work with children around the world. Beckham has traveled to many countries to raise public awareness of UNICEF’s work for children. He has visited Cambodia to meet with children who were victims of violence and abuse, South Africa to meet families living with HIV and AIDS, and the Philippines, where he met with children affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

“I have taken some of my children on various trips. They know exactly the work I do for UNICEF. All want to participate in the work of UNICEF. Everyone wants to help in different ways and different charities”Beckham pointed out.

In his speech at the awards ceremony, Beckham emphasized that girls do not have the same opportunities as boys. “I want my daughter Harper to have the same opportunities as her brothers and that should be true for all girls everywhere. Being a girl shouldn’t define what you can do, where you can go and who you can be.” concluded.