For Immediate Release
PHR welcomed the nomination of Samantha Power by the White House as the new US ambassador to the United Nations.
“Samantha Power has a direct understanding and vision for how the United Nations can support human security and well-being, and brings passion and expertise for human rights to this important role,” said Susannah Sirkin, PHR’s director of international policy and partnerships, and senior advisor. “Her engagement with victims of some of the worst human rights violations in recent memory is incredibly valuable in light of the ongoing need for states to prevent and stop mass atrocities. We hope her nomination signals the Administration’s renewed commitment to human rights globally, and look forward to what we hope is an ambitious agenda for the US mission to the UN.”
Power is a former journalist who reported from places such as Rwanda, Kosovo and Sudan. She won a Pulitzer Prize for her book “A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide,” which documents historic failures to stop genocide, and authored another significant book about a leading UN diplomat, the late Sergio Vieira de Mello. Power would replace Susan Rice, who will succeed Tom Donilon as national security adviser. Power’s nomination must be confirmed by the Senate.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here.