United States Mission to the United Nations
Office of Press and Public Diplomacy
For Immediate Release
December 16, 2021
Statement by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on the Election of Professor Justin Hansford to the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent
I am thrilled to congratulate Howard Law Professor Justin Hansford, who today was elected by the UN General Assembly to the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD) as an independent expert for the inaugural 2022-2024 term. Professor Hansford’s decades of experience and commitment to racial justice will be pivotal in shaping and sustaining this critical new body.
Earlier this year, the United States strongly supported the PFPAD’s creation as part of our unequivocal commitment to advancing racial equity both at home and abroad. In our pursuit and support of the PFPAD’s critical mission, the United States was extremely proud to nominate Professor Hansford, an esteemed scholar, activist and advocate for racial justice issues worldwide. His decades of expertise, extensive scholarship, and relentless commitment will be an enormous asset in the PFPAD’s pursuit of real and meaningful progress on racial equity for people of African descent in the United States and around the world. Today, the fight for racial justice took a historic step forward.
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