United States Mission to the United Nations
Office of Press and Public Diplomacy
For Immediate Release
April 13, 2022
Statement by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on the Election of Keith Harper to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
I am thrilled to congratulate Ambassador (ret.) Keith Harper, an independent expert elected by the UN Economic and Social Council to the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII) for the 2023-2025 term. Mr. Harper, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, is the first Native American to be named a U.S. Ambassador, serving from 2014 to 2017 as U.S. Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Human Rights Council. Mr. Harper’s impressive career as an attorney and diplomat dedicated to human rights, particularly those of Indigenous women and girls, and the rights of Indigenous peoples, will inform the work of this critical body.
The United States prioritizes advancing the well-being of Indigenous peoples domestically and worldwide and strongly supports the PFII’s efforts to improve the safety and quality of life and livelihoods of Indigenous peoples globally.
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